As Time Goes By
by GroundZeroFirework
Summary: A new year has started in Astraea Hill and with it, brings two new transfer students. Follow their adventures in St. Miator Girls' Academy as they make connections and bonds with our favorite characters. (Previously called The New Year)
1. The Transfer Students (OC Profile)

**AN: Hello, guys, this is GroundZeroFirework. Before we delve deep into the story, I would like to introduce my OCs for this fic. I hope you guys find them interesting enough to continue with this story.**

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**OC#1**

**NAME: Ritsuko Yamato**

**AGE: 17**

**EYE COLOR: Green**

**HAIR COLOR: Black**

**NICKNAMES: **_**Ritsu**_**, **_**GamerBear**_

**OCCUPATION: 5****th**** year Student at St. Miator, Video Game Reviewer**

**BIO: Ritsuko is the eldest child of Kojiro and Takara Yamato and the biological elder sister of Kohaku and Raiden Yamato. Born in the States like her father before her, she is an American Citizen. When she was 11, her parents adopted her younger sister, Marika and the following year, her younger brother, Subaru, was taken in. Despite the fact that they're all just the same age, Marika and Subaru consider her as the eldest. They moved to Japan when they were 13 but Marika and Ritsu weren't sent to St. Miator immediately as they wanted a chance to go to a Coed school in Japan. However, both were pulled out of the Coed Academy to be sent to Miator as per the tradition of her mother's family. She garnered a fairly large fan base in the States (and a little in Japan) at the age of 16 due to her video game and console reviews under the name of "GamerBear". She does not like major changes in her life and is hostile to the idea of moving to Miator (claims that the only major changes she liked in her life were her siblings) due to having to be separated from their brothers and sister and therefore, is indifferent to most of the students in Astrea Hill.**

**OC#2**

**NAME: Marika Yamato**

**AGE: 17**

**EYE COLOR: Brown**

**HAIR COLOR: Brown**

**NICKNAME: Mari, SisterBear**

**OCCUPATION: 5****th**** year Student at St. Miator, Model**

**BIO: The first adoptive child of Kojiro and Takara Yamato. Unlike Ritsu, she was born in Japan. Her father was Kojiro's best friend in St. James Academy while her mother was Takara's best friend in College. Her mother and father died in a car accident when she was 11, leaving her in the care of the Yamato family and she was sent to the States to be with them. She was often protected by her new older sister, Ritsu, amidst the bullying and racism she faced and it didn't take long for the quiet and frightened Mari to warm up to her almost immediately. Like Subaru, she didn't know Ritsu all that well as Ritsu only stayed in Japan for the summer. She managed to become quite popular as a model in both Japan and the States, with Subaru as her partner.**


	2. Chapter 1: In the Middle of June

**AN: Hello, everyone this is GroundZeroFirework with her first Strawberry Panic fic. Now this little fic takes place like…a year after the anime. It's OC-centric though. Also, this is OC x Canon. I'm sure you guys saw that before clicking this. Now, as much as I'm a big fan of Chikaru x Shion Fics, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, try my hand at something new (the new being Yuri fics) and write an OC x Chikaru fic. Also, some things you need to know:**

"_Italics" – _**Ritsu speaking in front of the camera or flashback, depending on context.**

'_Italics' – _**Thoughts.**

**Now, without further ado, let's get this thing on. **

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**CHAPTER I:**

**IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE**

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Ah, Astraea Hill. A little sacred ground in an area in Japan. A safe haven for women with its three all girls schools; Miator, Spica and Lulim. Men aren't allowed on this little slice of the Earth for fear of tainting it. As of now, a new school year has started and little did most of the students know is that they were getting transferees. In the middle of June.

"Ne, Nagisa-chan, what do you think those new transferees will be like?" asked Tamao Suzumi as they walked to the cafeteria. Nagisa looked at her best friend; still reeling in from the happiness of making up with her. After what happened in the Etoile elections and all, it seemed as if the two would never be friends again. Luckily, after some time, Tamao had made it clear that she had forgiven them and all was well once again after a few tears. Nagisa is still going strong with Shizuma, despite the fact that she's in a University in Tokyo with Miyuki. They made the relationship work by writing each other letters whenever Shizuma couldn't visit. As for Miyuki, she finally managed to pluck up the courage to stand up to her father and break off the engagement that's been pre-set for her. After a series of arguments, Miyuki won her freedom without losing her standing in the family. It sure as hell helped that Shizuma managed to dig up some dirt on the guy she was supposed to marry. The guy was a disrespectful scumbag when in private with Miyuki but is a total gentleman in front of their relatives. Now, Miyuki is free to love whoever she wishes. However, there was something Nagisa and Shizuma notice; whenever they visit, Miyuki and Tamao spend a lot of time together that some people are starting to gossip but whenever they ask; they claim nothing's happening. Nagisa remembered Shizuma's analogy of them all of a sudden.

"_Wow…it's like the Loch Ness Monster from Scotland between those two; you'd think there's something there sometimes, then sometimes there isn't."_

"Ne, Na-gi-sa-chan!" Tamao called for her. Nagisa snapped out of her musings.

"Ah, sorry, Tamao-chan. What was that?" She asked her friend.

"I asked what do you think the transferees will be like?"

"Eh? I can't say that for sure but I hope we can get along with them. They're legacies, right? Don't you have to meet them?" Nagisa asked her. Tamao rubbed her head and smiled.

"Right. I forgot. I gotta run, Nagisa-chan. See ya later." Tamao said before running off for the Sister's office. Nagisa waved and smiled. Before Miyuki graduated, she groomed Tamao to become the next Student Council president with Chihaya and Mizushima as her VPs. Much to their surprise, no one stood against Tamao's campaign and she won by a landslide. Aside from a few lapses, Tamao is a very capable and a responsible Student Council President. Truth be told, Nagisa wasn't even supposed to know about the transfer students until earlier this morning. Only the two Etoiles, the Sisters and the Student Councils of the three schools were supposed to know but she's known about them for a month because Tamao told her about them.

'_I hope we can get along with them. They will be attending Miator after all.' _Nagisa thought as she kept walking to the cafeteria.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the town near Astraea, a limo was travelling to St. Miator. It was carrying 2 girls, their mother and the girls' dogs.

"Why? Just tell me why? Give me one goddamn good reason in God's green Earth why we have to go to Astraea?" One of the girls angrily asked.

"Because it's tradition, Ritsuko." Their mother said with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead. The woman, Takara Yamato, was wearing a nice business dress; a peach colored pencil skirt, white blouse and a peach colored blazer with a matching set of high heels and genuine pearls around her neck. Her brown hair was barely showing signs of graying and her green eyes showed some weariness, amplified by the few traces of wrinkles around it.

"Oh, tradition. Might as well just ask us to go roll naked in the snow at Christmas during a blizzard while sniffing cocaine. Yeah, that would be a better tradition than this." The girl, Ritsuko, said with a huff as she crossed her arms. "It's tradition that our brother is freezing his ass off in Hokkaido while we're shipped off to an all girls school."

The younger one beside her simply stayed silent but felt excited on the inside for a new experience.

"Hey, Marika. You okay?" Ritsuko asked her adopted sister.

"I'm fine, nee-chan." She answered with a smile. Ritsuko smiled and patted her head before taking a deep breath.

"I still don't see why we have to go." She said as she rubbed her face. Takara sighed once again. She had no idea what she was going to do with her eldest daughter. Her 2 older daughters were opposites in most things but they still love each other all the same. Same goes for her son, Subaru, when it comes to his siblings. Subaru and Marika were neutral about the transfer but Ritsu…Ritsu made no effort to hide her disdain for the transfer. The girl openly defies major changes. It's like she's terrified of it. However, their father, Kojiro, would have none of it. And so the girls were being sent to St. Miator in Astraea Hill while Subaru was sent to St. James Boys Academy in Hokkaido, where their father went. They already had their chance of going to a coed school in the country but they had a tradition to keep up with and Takara would be damned if she was going to break it. Besides, her girls would get the best quality of education there. And nothing but the best for Mama Yamato's little girls.

Ritsu was steaming on the inside. She was perfectly fine at the coed academy. She and her siblings got to stay together there and they had such great friends. With a huff, she examined herself. Half-ponytail? Check. Glasses? Check. Blue blouse? Check. Tie? Check. Vest? Check. Jacket? Check. Watch? Check. Jeans? Check. Socks? Check. Knee-high boots? Check. All in all, she looked presentable enough. Marika, meanwhile, wore a white, puffy, knee length skirt, boots and a red dress shirt with a black tie.

"Nee-chan, I think we should start." Marika told her. Ah, yes. Ritsu is a bit of a celebrity it both the States and Japan. Same with Marika and Subaru. See, Ritsu is a video game reviewer. Like a tame version of the _Angry Video Game Nerd_ (though she does have her moments of getting angry) while Marika and Subaru are models. In fact, their family was rich to begin with; they own a huge chain of 5 star restaurants and hotels in the States as well as a huge chain of coffee shops in Japan. In both countries; you have to have been in a coma or a newborn to not know the name 'Yamato'. Not only that, they're also shareholders in some huge companies in Japan. Yep. That was the empire that their Great-Great Grandfather built.

"Yeah, we should." Ritsu decided as she turned the limo's lights on as Marika set the camera up. Just as she signaled Ritsu to start, she did.

"_Hey, cubs. GamerBear here. Now, I'm sure all of you are wondering why SisterBear and I here are dressed like we're going to Hogwarts or some shit like that. And I bet you're also wondering why we're in a limo or better yet, where's BrotherBear? Well, first off, BrotherBear is freezing his balls off in St. James Boys Academy in Hokkaido. SisterBear and I…"_ She paused for a moment as a look of horror was seen on her face. _"…we have it worse. Lemme show you."_

Marika picked up the camera and the upper hatch of the limo opened. They stood up and Marika pointed the camera forward. The chapel could be seen from where they are. Which is a little ways away from the town near Astraea. Eventually, they sat back down.

"_See that? That big ass Chapel you can see from a mile away? Yeah? Well, that's Astraea Hill. A sacred ground upon which no man may ever lay foot upon. Surprise, surprise. No wonder it's named Astraea, the virgin goddess of innocence and purity. Moving on. In this hill lies three all girls schools; St. Miator, St. Spica and St. Lulim. Ever heard of those saints?" _She asked before pausing for a moment. With a small frown, she continued._ "I haven't either. Must be Japan exclusive saints. At least, you've heard of St. James. Now, based on what I've heard; St. Lulim Girls' School is the youngest of these three and it's just like any Japanese school in this country; liberal, fun and sailor uniforms. Reminds me of the coed academy we used to go to before we got uprooted like weeds!"_

She ended the statement by stomping her foot at the floor of the limo before taking a deep breath.

"_Hoo, I gotta calm down. Now, the second school is St. Spica's Girls' Institute. No, it's not that type of institute. Now, Spica was built like fifty or so years after St. Miator, I think. This school prides itself in producing independent women…and its sports teams. Seriously; if you ever want Astraea Hill to compete Nationals in Sports, then St. Spica is your best bet in getting good competition. They're best sport is equestrianism though. Wonder how many schools have that? Now, the last. The last is the shit. I don't mean the good shit. I mean the old fashioned type of shit. SisterBear and I are going to St. Miator's…"_

Ritsu mocked horror and fright at the moment and acted like she was having a heart attack on camera. After a while, she settled and continued on.

"_Now, St. Miator's Girls' Academy. That's right; I have to go here. Why? Tradition from my mother's family, that's why! That's right; we're going here, MamaBear went here, GrandmamaBear went here, Great GrandmamaBear went here and Great-Great GrandmamaBear went here! Soon enough BabySisterBear's gonna have to go here while her twin, BabyBrotherBear's gonna get shipped off to Hokkaido like BrotherBear, PapaBear, GrandpapaBear, Great GrandpapaBear and Great-Great GrandpapaBear before him! Okay, back to topic. What can I say about St. Miator's? It's very old fashioned since it was built like a hundred years ago and it's very good at upholding tradition apparently. This place is a school for brides. I shit you not. We have subjects like tea ceremony, flower arrangement, Japanese dancing. What's next? How to be a good stay at home wife? Is that gonna be a subject too? No wonder St. Spica makes fun of you; you're too traditional. Get with the times! Oh god!"_ Ritsu continued one before pretending to cry and burying her face in Marika's chest, who patted her head in mock sympathy.

"_Okay, let's continue on."_ She said as she pretended to wipe her tears. _"Like I said, St. Spica and St. Miator often clash but that's because St. Miator is too traditional while St. Spica is more on the independent side and St. Lulim just sits on the sidelines like a person watching Wimbledon. Astraea Hill has the Etoile system. It's French for 'Star' for those who don't know. Now, the Etoile is something that Spica and Miator fight for all the time while, again, Lulim just sits on the sidelines like someone watching a tennis game. But whichever school has the student that holds the title of Etoile gets the most influence out of all three schools in Astraea Hill. What exactly an Etoile does? I have no fuckin' idea. The last person to become Etoile in our family is GrandmamaBear and she's in Osaka. A couple of years back, it was St. Miator who had the Etoile but winter last year, the elections happened again since the Etoile was graduating and this time, it's Spica who has the Etoile. Good for them."_

Ritsu paused for a bit and took a deep breath before continuing.

"_You guys must be wondering why I'm telling you this. It's not just to give you a bird's eye view of what you guys could never see unless you're a girl, no. This is because this is going to be the last episode of GamerBear Reviews before we go on hiatus. Like I said, St. Miator, or rather all of Astraea Hill's schools, are strict; therefore no computers, no cellphones, no game consoles. So until the summer break starts in the last days of July and I get back home, there will be no new episodes. And that's even assuming if we don't have the summer school that my mother said Astraea Hill usually has but I think that's only for the first to fourth years. Anyway, that also means that unlike last year, we won't be having a Halloween special. But there will be a Christmas Special and we'll have this new trend we like to call __**"The 12 day Fuckfest" **__and no, it's not that type of fuckfest. In St. James, they became more flexible there as the years went by so BrotherBear has computer and internet there and he's the one who'll be uploading this like always. But now, let's start this review with Tiger Electronic's GameCom!"_

As Ritsu said that, she pulled out a handheld game console that looked like an unholy mash of a PSP and a Gameboy Advance but looks just about half as thick as a PS1.

"_Yep, this ugly beast. Now, I'm sure all of you are wondering how I can just easily throw and destroy some of the games and consoles I use in my reviews. Alright, time for another history lesson. As you all know, PapaBear was born in 1960 in New York and being the son of a 5 star hotels and 5 star restaurants mogul, anything he asked, he received. Now when the first Atari came out in 1977, he decided back then that he had to collect them. So when he asked GrandpapaBear for an Atari 2600, he got 2 of them; one for preservation and one for use. Everything he got had to be in twos back then. Games and consoles. Of course, PapaBear only got things from the big companies so no, ColecoVision or some shit like that for him for some reason but if his interest is piqued then he'll buy it. Though I have no idea why he bought some of the shitty pieces like the 7800. But when I was born and was old enough to be playing at the age of…5 or 6 I think, back then the PS1 was just released so he got 3 of them this time. One for preservation, one for him and one for me. Same thing went with the games. Sometimes, I love being rich. And as the years went by, when we adopted Subaru and Marika, we now had 5 of everything. One for each of us and one for preservation. E-Even the shitty consoles that he wanted back then, we had to get one too. Never thought they'd be useful for this type of gig though. God only knows what'll happen when Kohaku and Raiden grow up though. So, there you have it; that's why I can easily dispose of things. And my dad is an excellent tracker of rare items so he can easily replace them. But back to the GameCom."_

Ritsu turned the handheld console on and the start up initiated. She looked at the camera with an annoyed look on her face.

"_Hear that obnoxious start up? Yeah? That's the GameCom. So, this thing was released in 1997. I was 7 years old at the time when my dad bought this for me and back then, I didn't know any better. I didn't know which one was crap and which one wasn't. Anyway, this thing was supposed to be a console and a PDA wrapped into one."_ Ritsu explained as she showed its features and Marika zoomed the camera in on the _"Can you believe that? No? Then would you also believe that this ugly piece of shit had its own modem? No? Well it does! Jesus Christ, a big ass modem that I had no idea how you were gonna carry around! Trust me; I have that modem and I tried carrying that around and I looked like complete idiot! Anyways, let's play some games. Let's try…uh…Mortal Kombat trilogy."_

She slapped the game on and saw something that was not suitable for something like this. On second thought, it was suitable.

"_What the holy flying fuck? What am I looking at? This is Mortal Kombat? The fuck? Scorpion isn't even here and it's hard to control somebody. It's an abomination. This version is suitable for this console, alright. A suitable piece of shit."_

She opened the window and threw the cartridge out.

"_Whoever finds that better not own a GameCom. I would not wish this thing on the person I hate the most in this world. Now, let's try…Indy 500."_

She slapped it on and after a couple of minutes of gameplay, Marika pointed the camera at her just in time to catch that defeated look on her face and throw the game out the window yet again before brandishing the Resident Evil 2 cartridge.

"_Resident Evil 2. Can't go wrong with a Capcom game_." She said as she put it in. She started the game and Ritsu looked like she actually wanted to cry. Even Marika wanted to cry; it looks like crap.

"_No…no…no…NO! They butchered Resident Evil 2! One of my favorites! What the fuck? Is this supposed to be the site of the crash where Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield got separated? Sure as hell doesn't look like it! There isn't even a cutscene and the controls are shit! The graphics are terrible! A Gameboy Color could work better than this! By the time you figure out how to aim or shoot or even fuckin' turn, you're dead! You're already dead! You're a dead man walking! Can't even fuckin' push it off! I need a drink."_

Like always when she's stressed out by such horrible machinations of mankind, Ritsu pulled out a bottle of Sapporo Beer from her jacket and opened it to drink.

"_Much better. Anyway, this thing is shit! Don't play it. Don't find it! I don't care if you're a fuckin' collector. This ain't worth your cash! I have to get rid of this. Marika!"_

"_Ready!"_ Marika said with a thumbs up as the hatch opened above them. They stood up and Ritsu brandished the in front of the camera. They were near the sea now.

"_It's refreshing to see that we're about to be released from the clutches of this piece of shit. So, in the words of the Japanese; SAYONARA, YOU FUCKTARD!" _

With that said, Ritsu threw the to the sea with Marika tracking it with the camera. They sat down yet again and Marika set the camera on the tripod.

"_Well, that thing was one useless piece of plastic. Sad to say this'll be the last episode for a while. But before we sign off; I should give you guys the mechanics to the 12 day Fuckfest; as you know my family is good at tracking rare things down but sometimes we just don't have time to do so. We are neither infallible or perfect or all knowing, so if you know any shitty games that you don't want to play and you want me to review please send it to this address that BrotherBear has probably edited in. Please remember that we're only accepting 12 shitty games and consoles. That's kinda the point of Fuckfest. But if no one sends anything; that's fine. We still have a couple of shitty games at home; we just want to see if you guys have any good suggestions in shitty games. Well, we're nearing Astraea and we'll have to sign off soon. So, until next time, my cubs, Good bye and see you this summer." _

Both Marika and Ritsu waved at the camera before Marika turned it off. Ritsu continued to drink her beer as the limo now started driving up the hill.

"We're close, aren't we?" She asked as she looked out the window.

"Yep." Marika said as she drank some soda that she got from the mini fridge. Their mother was quietly conversing with their father on the phone; no doubt checking if Subaru made it safely to Hokkaido with him. Eventually, she hung up and patted the two pugs snoozing at her feet before looking out the window.

"Oh, I remember the days when I used to go here. Every weekend some friends and I would go out to town to eat or have fun and come back before curfew." Takara said, earning a snort from Ritsuko as she crossed her arms and took a huge gulp of her beer.

"Some fun." She mumbled out.

"Oh look, there are the gates." Their mother pointed out as she looked out the windshield after knocking on the divider. Ritsu and Marika looked on as well and the older girl started getting nervous. Sure, Astraea Hill schools are usually for the wealthy and upper middle class but this is just plain excessive. Who the hell arrives for their first day of school on a 2000 Lincoln Town Car Limousine? It was embarrassing enough to show up to school waving the name 'Yamato' around like a red flag at a football game. It's way too embarrassing to be doing that and arriving at school in a limo.

"Don't worry, you two. They'll take good care of you. Especially since Sister Hamasaka's still in charge." Takara said with a smile on her face as the divider closed yet again. With a defeated sigh, Ritsu finished her beer and threw the bottle in the trash can as the limo entered the gates and finally came to a stop. Looking out the window, Marika saw three girls from all three schools and an older lady, whom she suspects to be the Sister, standing there waiting for them.

"Stay here, you two. Okay?" Takara told them as she patted their heads before walking out of the car on the left door. They both watched their mother converse with the Sister and give the girl from Lulim a short embrace, much to their surprise.

"You know something, Mari? I'm gonna try and get myself expelled from this place. Watch." The older Yamato said before approaching the fridge and grab a bottle of Sapporo beer. Marika her hand immediately.

"Nee-chan, don't. Who's going to take care of me if you get expelled?" She asked with puppy dog eyes that made Ritsu go weak at the knees.

"Fine." She said in surrender before sitting down, subconsciously putting the beer in her jacket's inner pocket. After a few minutes, their mother knocked on Marika's door and made a gesture for them to come outside. Ritsu sighed and nodded.

"Stay here. I'll open the door for you." She told her sister.

"You don't have to." Marika protested with a pout at being treated like a child.

"Nope. Little sisters deserve to be treated like Princesses. Who do you think taught Subaru to be a gentleman?" She teased with a smirk on her face before getting out of the car. Her mother was still conversing with Miator's sister and the girls who she suspects to be the Student Council Presidents. The girl from Miator looked nice, the girl from Spica had something they like to call the forehead of doom and she looks strict. The girl from Lulim meanwhile had long luscious black hair and amber eyes that matches her pretty face and a nice body. The girl had her attention that much is sure. And Ritsu was staring at her long enough for her to notice. The girl gave her a cute smile and Ritsu noticed her lips. Those luscious red lips that look so soft. She wonders what it would feel like on her own. She noticed that the girl's mouth was moving as if she was saying something; which immediately snapped her out of her reverie.

"Eh?" She mumbled out loud as she arrived at Marika's door.

"I said your beer is showing." The girl said as she pointed to Ritsu's jacket. Looking down, she saw that the beer bottle has somehow tilted inside her jacket and was now rearing its spout. Worst of all, the Sapporo tag could be seen. The Student Council Presidents of Miator and Spica were shocked, the Sister did not look impressed and her mother…well…let's just say her mother looks like God has taken her soul way too soon. Burning red from the embarrassment, Ritsu turned around, tossed the bottle in and held her hand out for Marika to take.

'_I think I'll just not ask what took her so long.' _Marika thought as she took her sister's hand. Once she was out of the car, the sisters approached their mother. Ritsu, as usual, was trying to be cold and aloof while Marika was her usual cheerful self. The older girl was refusing to meet the eyes of the people who came out to meet them while Marika greeted them with a soft smile.

"Sister Hamasaka, ladies, these are my daughters; Ritsuko and Marika. Girls, this is Sister Hamasaka and the Presidents of the three schools; Tamao Suzumi-san, Shion Toumori-san and Chikaru Minamoto-san." Their mother introduced them.

"Hajemimashite." Marika said as she bowed. Ritsu simply followed her lead. The moment they straightened up, Ritsu looked to the side again as if there was something interesting in the trees.

"Ah, I know you. I've seen you on Youtube! You're GamerBear!" Chikaru Minamoto exclaimed. The girls from Miator and Spica looked at her in confusion and Ritsu, who was looking away earlier, suddenly snapped her head to face the girl with an expression that makes her look like she was a deer caught in the headlights.

"Youtube is the American NicoNico! And she reviews video games and consoles there! With a lot of profanity in it too." The President of Lulim explained with a smile to her fellow students.

"I don't suppose Sister Hamasaka knew that, right?" Marika asked their mother, who shook her head in response.

"Forgive me for not informing you, Sister. My eldest has a bit of an attitude problem. I was hoping sending her here could straighten her out."

It's no surprise that her mother would tell people that. Even her teachers from the States say that she has an attitude problem.

"Of course, Yamato-san. We'll take good care of your girls. Suzumi-kaichou will give them a tour of St. Miator later on once they've settled in. For now, we'll leave you to say your good bye."

With that said, Sister Hamasaka and the girls left, leaving the Yamato's on their own. As they walked, Chikaru looked back at the family. The mother was talking to her children, Ritsu and Marika, if she wasn't mistaken. All of a sudden, two fawn pugs ran up to them from the car and started circling her.

"Minamoto-san, you seem interested in Ritsuko-san." Tamao said upon observing her fellow student. Chikaru, however, simply gave her a sly smile.

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not." She said before turning her eyes up front.

* * *

"You'll both be fine here. We know it. We trust you both. Just take care of each other and you'll be fine." Takara told her two girls. It felt like it was just yesterday; Ritsu was just a baby in her arms and Marika was a baby in her bassinet in the hospital. Now, they're all grown up and attending boarding school. Same goes for her son. She could've sworn that just yesterday, Subaru was just a frightened 12 year old who had no idea of what happened to his parents.

"We will, Mom." Ritsu answered as she held tightly to her sister's hand. Their mother put a hand to her cheek as tears fell from her eyes. They both gathered their things and the pugs were following them around, begging for attention. Ritsu and Marika kneeled and patted their respective dogs. The male dog was Ritsu's while the female was Marika's. They've had the pugs since they were just puppies and it was hard to be separated from them.

"Hey, Edgar, Terra. Sorry buddies. We have to go away for awhile." Marika greeted them with a sad smile. Edgar Roni Pugaro and Terra Pugford gave a whine with what seems to be a sad look on their faces. And yes; they were named after Edgar and Terra from _Final Fantasy VI_.

"We'll be back. But until then, you both have to watch over Kohaku and Raiden, alright?" Ritsu ordered them. The pugs both barked at the same time as if they understood and were agreeing to the order.

"Good doggies." The younger of the Yamato siblings praised them before kissing them and patting them one last time. Ritsu stood up and approached their mother and gave her a hug.

"Did Subaru make it okay?" She asked during the hug.

"Yes, sweetie." Takara answered as she embraced her eldest.

"Please send him the camera and tell him, Dad, Kohaku and Raiden that we love them." She mumbled as Marika joined in the hug.

"I will."

"We love you, mom." Marika said as tears fell from her face.

"I love you too. Both of you." Takara answered as she separated from them. Both the girls already had their things and all that was left now was for their mother to leave the hill and go home to Tokyo.

"It's Saturday tomorrow. You both can pick your bikes up at the pier. And you can place it near Astraea Dorms. You have special permission. I love you both. Good bye." She said before getting back on the limo with Edgar and Terra.

"Bye." They both sullenly said as they waved. Eventually, the limo was gone from their sight. Marika clutched to Ritsuko's arm tightly. And she could feel that her younger sister was crying. She's not used to being separated from their parents and Subaru and it finally got to her.

"Oi, stop crying." Ritsu reprimanded her as she patted her head.

"I'm scared, nee-chan." She said as she wiped her tears away. Ritsu sighed and faced her before clutching her shoulders.

"Hey, you don't have to be scared. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. Come on." She gently said as she wiped her sister's tears away before taking her hand and walking to the dorms.

Now their new life in Astraea starts. And this is just Day 1 of their New Year.

* * *

**AN: And that's Chapter I. I hope everybody found this chapter interesting. This is just an introductory thing so nothing major is happening yet. Also in Chapter II, familiar faces pay Astraea a visit. I have to warn you that I have a personal rule that if this story garners positive reviews or no reviews at all, then this story stays on the archive. But if this story gets a lot of negatives, then I will be deleting this because what would be the point of continuing with this story. Anyway, that's Chapter I. Please leave your reviews and your favorites. I would really appreciate them. Thanks. :D**


	3. Chapter 2: Before Classes Start

**AN: Hello everybody this is GroundZeroFirework with the new chapter of As Time Goes By, previously known as The New Year. Yes; believe it or not, I actually changed the title of this story. That's something I don't usually do. Anyways, thanks to those who reviewed and gave their favorites to this story. This chapter will be a long one since I want it to be. Anyways, some familiar faces will show up here. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**CHAPTER II:**

**BEFORE CLASSES START**

* * *

Later that day, Ritsu and Marika were in their rooms, putting their clothes in the closets and whatever other things that reminds them of home in their proper places. They've been given the tour by Tamao earlier and became easily familiar with Miator.

"So, nee-chan, what do you think the Etoiles will be like?" Marika asked as she put a violin figurine on her desk.

"Probably stuck up brats." She deadpanned as she placed a family photo beside her desk lamp. Next to it was a picture of her, her siblings and their friends from their previous academy, followed by a picture of Kohaku and Raiden on the other side of the desk.

"Come on, don't judge them now. They could be nice." The younger admonished the elder as she played with a soccer ball. Ritsu snorted at her remark.

"I'll believe it when I see it." She answered as she put an egg shaped football at the top tier of her desk. Beside this was a photo of her and her siblings a few days after Kohaku and Raiden were born.

_Knock. Knock._

Ritsu opened the door of their room and saw Tamao Suzumi there with a redhead standing behind her.

"Ah, hello, Yamato-san, may we please come in?" Tamao politely asked.

"Please." She answered as she opened the door wider and made a gesture for them to come in. Once they entered, she shut the door.

"Pardon the intrusion. I just came by to see how you've settled in. Eto…this is my friend, Nagisa Aoi." Tamao said with a small smile. Marika introduced herself immediately while Ritsu simply waved at her,

"Good to see you're settled in." She said as she examined Subaru's picture.

"Yes, we have. You don't mind the personal effects do you? This is our first time at boarding school and we get homesick easily." Ritsu explained as she leaned by the window.

"Of course not. Aside from gadgets, all students are allowed to bring personal effects with them. If it helps them get through being away from home then it's alright." Tamao explained before Subaru's picture caught her eye once again. "Who's this?"

"Our brother, Subaru. He's in an all boys academy in Hokkaido." Ritsu answered. Marika and Nagisa were happily chatting away about…girl things that Ritsu didn't bother knowing.

"And these two cuties?" Tamao followed up.

"Kohaku and Raiden. Baby siblings. Twins. They're at home with our mom."

"How old are they?" She asked. What was up with the 20 questions game?

"Six months. Eto, Suzumi-kaichou, is there a reason you came by?" Ritsuko asked her.

"Ah, hai. Ano…Yamato-san, later on at dinner, I shall be accompanying you to meet the Etoiles. Please introduce yourselves to them." Tamao politely explained with a smile.

"Don't worry, Suzumi-kaichou. I'll keep my sister polite." Marika said before giving Ritsu a sickeningly sweet smile that sent shivers up her spine. That smile always promised her pain whenever she saw it.

"Great. I'll come by for the two of you later then." Tamao said before leaving with Nagisa.

"Nice to meet you." She said with a kind smile before leaving.

"Well, now that that's over. I'm taking a nap. Good night." Ritsu declared before shedding her jacket and plopping on her bed. She fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

"Ritsu-nee. Ritsu-nee."

Ritsuko opened her eyes and saw Marika looking down at her. She groaned and opened her eyes.

"Mari, what is it?" She asked.

"Dinner time. Suzumi-kaichou is outside."

She looked towards the window and indeed the sun did set and the moon rose to take its place. With a nod, Ritsu got up, grabbed her jacket and donned it yet again. Taking her sister's hand, they ventured from the safety of their room, meeting Tamao outside.

"Ready?" She gently asked them and both nodded. They obediently followed their Student Council President to the dining hall where students from all three schools were mingling with one another. The moment they entered, however, most of the students stared at them and were mumbling about "GamerBear" this and "Marika the Model" that. It was a bit unsettling for Ritsu; after all she only started her gig a year ago. Tamao led them to two people; the first one, obviously the elder of the two, had blue hair and red eyes while the younger had blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Judging from the way they held hands; it was pretty obvious they were a couple.

"Excuse me, Etoile-sama." Tamao greeted. Amane and Hikari abruptly stopped talking.

"Hai, Suzumi-kaichou?" The blonde asked her with a soft smile.

"The two new transfer students of Miator wishes to greet you. This is Ritsuko Yamato-san and Marika Yamato-san."

Their mother told them about this and so they knew how to act accordingly.

"Hajemimashite, Etoile-sama." The sisters greeted with a bow. According to their mother, the Etoile pair is to act as a single and uniform pair. Always together when working. By the end of the discussion, Ritsuko wondered if the Etoiles were humans or aliens. It had to be one of those.

"Hajemimashite. I'm Amane Ohtori. This is my partner, Hikari Konohana." The blue haired Etoile greeted with a small smile.

"A-Ano, you're GamerBear, aren't you?" The Etoile Hikari asked as she recognized her face from one of the videos Yaya showed her when she sneaked her cell phone in. Ritsuko promptly froze. Good grief; even the Etoile knows who she is.

"H-Hai, Etoile-sama." She stuttered.

"And Marika the Model, yes?" She followed up as she turned to Marika.

"Hai." She answered with a friendly smile.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Ritsuko-san, Marika-san. We hope you enjoy your stay here in Astraea Hill." Etoile Amane said with a small yet sincere smile. Tamao led the two back to the table for Miator's fifth years. The Etoile Hikari said grace and they were allowed to eat. Tamao introduced them to her VPs, Chihaya and Mizushiima and pointed out friends from Miator, Spica and Lulim; a blue haired girl named Chiyo, who was a second year from Miator. The Etoile Hikari, an ebony haired girl named Yaya and the pink-haired Tsubomi were friends of theirs from Spica. From Lulim, they were friends with the second year named Kagome, who at the age of fourteen, still lugged a teddy bear around. The third years, Remon and Kizuna, were also connected to them. But the biggest surprise for Ritsuko came when she heard that they hung around Lulim's President, Chikaru Minamoto.

'_Wait, why am I surprised? It's not uncommon to be friends with students from other schools.' _She thought as she ate.

"Ne, Ritsuko-san, Chikaru-chan is staring at you." The redhead from earlier, Nagisa Aoi, whispered to her. Ritsu slowly turned her head and true enough; Chikaru Minamoto was staring at her while eating. Her gaze was a bit unsettling but it made her heart beat like crazy nonetheless. They caught the attention of Tamao and Marika, however.

"You know you've caught Chikaru-chan's eye ever since you arrived. With that bottle of Sapporo you lugged around in your jacket. I think she was impressed that you dared try to bring something like that here." Tamao told her with a smile. Marika slowly turned her head to her older sister with a disapproving look. Ritsu buried her face in her hand in frustration. Why did she not realize that she put that bottle in her jacket?

"Uh…I didn't even realize I put that bottle there." She mumbled out. "Regardless, thanks for the heads up, Aoi-san." She added with a small smile.

"Just Nagisa-chan is fine." The redhead answered with a small smile. Ritsu smiled for a second and turned to Marika, who was absorbed in some stories that Mizushima and Chihaya were telling her.

'_Not even an hour together and already friends.' _She thought with a small smile. Those who finished their meals were allowed to leave and Ritsu thought doing the same would be the best course of action.

"I'll see you upstairs, Mari." She said before standing up. Just as she was about to leave, however, the girl with the teddy bear approached her. Her bear was holding a marker in its paw and a sketchpad on the other.

"Yes? Kagome, right?" She gently asked with a small smile. The girl was too cute to get annoyed at.

"Hai. Percival would like your autograph, GamerBear onee-sama." She said a bit passively as she held the bear out. Ritsu wasn't used to this since everyone at her old school knew her when she started. But nevertheless, she still did so. Especially since everyone's eyes were on them

"Ah, okay." She nervously said with a sheepish smile before taking the marker and the sketchpad. There was an extremely accurate drawing of her as she was seated in her seat earlier. Her GamerBear logo that was created by Subaru and showed up at the start of all of her videos was drawn on the spacious upper right corner of the page. The logo was a bear with various controllers hanging around its shoulders, holding a PS1 controller on one hand and a bottle of Sapporo beer in the other. The girl was ridiculously talented. Without another word, she signed the paper on the free space, dictating as she did so.

_"Dear Percival and Kagome-chan, Glad to have you as a GamerBear Cub. From the GamerBear, Yamato Ritsuko. P.S. You are ridiculously talented. Keep it up."_

She handed the items back to little Kagome and patted her head before walking out of the dining hall like nothing happened. However, she can hear some of her new found Cubs going crazy over it.

* * *

The next morning, Ritsu was heading downstairs. After she and Marika were attacked by rabid fangirls asking for their autographs, they were finally able to satisfy each and every single one of them. Having taken a shower earlier, she headed ahead while Marika took one. As she passed by one of the rooms, she heard a familiar tune from a piano. Opening the door, she saw Nagisa Aoi playing the piano.

"The Maiden's Prayer. Badarzewska." She stated as she leaned on the wall. Nagisa abruptly stopped in surprise.

"Please, don't stop on my account. It was good. A bit broken but good nonetheless." She said with crossed arms. Compared to yesterday, Ritsu was dressed a bit more casually with a white shirt, a green short sleeved dress shirt, jeans and her usual boots. In her right hand, she held a leather jacket.

"Y-Yamato-san!"

"Ritsu, please. Not used to formalities." Ritsu admitted as she sauntered up to the piano.

"Hai, Ritsu-san! Eto…do you know how to play?" Nagisa nervously asked as she gestured to the piano.

"Piano? Sure. Learned in the States during my Elementary school days there." She answered. Yesterday, she and Marika had a lengthy talk that ended in her promising to at least TRY to make friends. Now, here she is.

"Can you play that song? I try but I'm not as good as her." The redhead shyly admitted.

"Her? Ah, your girlfriend. And Maiden's Prayer? Sure. That's the song I used to practice on." Ritsu said before she started playing. The room was filled with sweet melodic sounds from the piano.

Meanwhile, a car just parked in front of the dorms and the driver and passenger excitedly got out. Tamao, who was waiting outside, smiled at the two visitors.

"Shizuma-san. Miyuki-chan." She greeted them cheerfully. Shizuma greeted her with a hug, same with Miyuki. Although the latter of the two had a prominent blush on her face.

"Tamao-chan, it's good to see you. So where's my Nagisa-chan?" Shizuma asked her, ready to see her beloved redhead. Tamao pointed inside and they went in. When Shizuma walked into the piano room, she saw Nagisa with another familiar face. Said familiar face was playing the piano for her girlfriend. After a few minutes, Nagisa finally noticed her.

"Shizuma!" She joyfully exclaimed before running up to her. Ritsuko abruptly stopped playing upon hearing the name. She turned and saw Nagisa and Shizuma kissing each other.

"Hello, Ritsu-chan." Miyuki Rokujo greeted her. Ritsu has met both Shizuma and Miyuki on two separate occasions when they just returned to Japan. Her father was a major shareholder in both in both their companies and for some reason, Miyuki's dad sometimes gives her dad some pointers on how to run a business more efficiently. Sometimes, they'd even hang out for drinks. Every once in a while they'd bring their daughters with them. Miyuki, she liked. Shizuma, not so much.

"Hello, Miyuki-nee." She greeted as she stood up. She was taller than Miyuki by a couple of inches now. Miyuki pulled her in for a hug just as Marika entered.

"Ah, Miyuki-nee, Shizuma-nee. What a surprise!" The younger of the Yamato sisters exclaimed as Miyuki gave her a hug as well.

"What up, battleship?" Shizuma teased Ritsu as she wrapped an arm around Nagisa's waist. Ritsu responded by flipping her off.

"Still got an attitude problem, I see." Shizuma stated with a smile. She often found amusement on picking on the eldest Yamato child.

"Why do you think I'm here?" She asked with one hell of a poker face. The silver haired girl chuckled and patted her head.

"Good to see you, kid." She said. It seems that her attitude problem just got worse. The reason for that, however, is a story for another time.

"Ritsu-nee, should we go?" Marika asked her as she tugged on her sister's sleeve.

"Yeah. Yeah, we should. Sorry to cut this short, ladies, but we have to go." Ritsu said with a smirk before leaving the room with Marika trailing behind her, leaving the four women standing there alone.

"So…battleship?" Nagisa asked before turning to Shizuma. Shizuma nervously chuckled as she rubbed the back of her neck. Yeah…she has a lot to explain to her girlfriend.

* * *

About 2 hours later, Ritsu and Marika arrived at the pier, waiting for the cargo that was meant for them. Finally, it arrived and was brought out for them and they both signed the paperwork for it. Peeling the tarpaulin covering of the cargo, they both grinned widely upon seeing it. There, sitting in all of its glory, were two 2005 fully-dressed, BMW R1200RT touring motorcycles.

"Well, it's a good thing we have special permission for this. And I'm glad that dad sent them to us. I wonder if Subaru got his." Marika said with a smile as she grabbed the keys to her red motorcycle.

"He probably did. St. James is a lot more flexible than St. Miator." Ritsu said as she inserted the key to her black motorcycle. "Shall we?"

Marika nodded in agreement and both donned their jackets and helmets before driving their bikes back to Astraea Hill. After a few minutes of driving, they finally arrived back at the dorms.

"Hey, Mari, you go on ahead. Maybe I'll go around the hill, take pictures for a bit." Ritsu told her as Marika parked her bike. The younger girl waved her hand in response as her sister brought out a camera from the saddlebag and took a picture of the dorms. Then she drove away, stopping by Lulim first to take a picture, then the greenhouse, followed by St. Miator and the Chapel. She took pictures of the Horse Ranch and St. Spica as well before stopping by the Library. Once she was done taking a picture of it, she remembered something her mother told her. Something about a dirt path that would lead you to the lake. She drove her bike on the said dirt path that could easily be found and she was mesmerized by the beauty of the lake. It perfectly reflected the sun, making it look like it was a lake made out of gold. Lowering the stand on her bike, she dismounted and took a picture of the lake and the scenery among various other interesting things she found worth taking a picture of. After that, she sat by a tree, drinking from a can of soda she bought in town earlier.

"You know that's not allowed here right?" A voice said from out of nowhere. Startled, Ritsu jumped up from her seat by the tree. Her heart started beating faster upon seeing that it was just Minamoto from Lulim.

"Oh, Minamoto-kaichou. It's just you." She said as she took deep breaths and drank the soda yet again.

"You can call me Chikaru-chan. I insist." She said as she sat by the tree where Ritsu was sitting earlier. She patted the space beside her, hoping that she'll get the message. Thankfully, she did.

"Ah, okay. In that case, you can call me Ritsu. Honorific or not, up to you." Ritsu said before she sat beside the young girl. At this proximity, Ritsu can smell the scent of lavender around her. And that was not good; she loves the smell of lavender.

'_Wait, why is that not good? It's not like I have a crush on her or something. Wait, do I?' _She thought to herself.

"Ritsu-chan…if you don't mind me asking but did you grow up here?" Chikaru asked her. Well, that was weird. Usually, nobody asks her that.

"Uh…no…I grew up in the States. I was born and raised in New York. I only came back here when I was 13. Before that, I used to spend my summers here though." She admitted. Ritsu didn't know why but…Minamoto just gave off this aura that says she could be trusted.

"Ah, I thought so. Your Japanese was accented." She said with a small smile before turning her gaze back to the lake.

"So…I hear that your brother and sister were both adopted. Can I know why?" Chikaru asked her. Ritsu chuckled and turned to her. If she's gonna have to play 20 questions with her, there's a price for that.

"You know, every question you have beyond the first one that I answered will cost you, right?" She teased Lulim's president.

"Ah, being dodgy, I see. Well, two can play at that game; name your price." She dared her.

"Wow, you're the first one to actually accept that. Usually, people stop asking me when I say it'll cost them." Ritsu said in amazement. "Very well. I get to ask you one question after yours and any question you have for me beyond that, the only price you have to pay is that you model for me. Just around these parts."

Well, that wasn't such a bad price to pay. If it means getting to know this person that's intrigued her since she first arrived, then she would gladly do it. Because every time she gazes at her, Chikaru feels like Ritsuko Yamato is an extremely difficult mystery that is just waiting to be solved. Not to mention the fact that her heart beats like crazy every time she hears her name. If she was stupid enough to say so without further proof, Chikaru would dare say that she was in love with Miator's new transfer student.

"Hmmm…okay then. Answer my question, I'll answer yours then after that, answer my questions and I'll model for you." She responded with a sly smile as she held her hand out, which Ritsuko took immediately. She blushed at the feeling of Chikaru's soft hands against her own.

"Uh…deal. Well, yes, it's true. Marika and Subaru are adopted. Marika's parents died in a car accident when she was 11. Her dad was my dad's best friend in St. James and her mom was a friend of my mom's from college. Subaru, meanwhile…I have no idea what happened to his parents. My parents do though but…all I know is that his parents seemingly dropped off the face of the planet when he was 12. His dad was another of my dad's friends from St. James. So, that's it. My turn; how do you know my mom?"

"Wow…I had no idea. And you get straight to the point, do you? Well, your mother went to St. Miator and mine went to St. Lulim at the same time. They were best friends and whenever you guys spent the summer here, she would take time to visit us. Though you never really tagged along." Chikaru answered her question with a chuckle. Ritsu knows that her mother usually visits a friend whenever they spent a summer here but she never knew that that friend went to St. Lulim.

"Hmmm…well, ask your questions then." Ritsu said passively with a poker face. And so the afternoon went by with Chikaru asking her questions like 'What was it like to go to a coed academy?' or 'Do you play an instrument?' 'What were your parents like?' 'What are your favorite things in the world?' With every question answered, Ritsu took a picture of her and Chikaru also shared some information about her in the same question; for instance, she's never been to a coed school since her Elementary school days. She plays the guitar. Her parents are very loving towards one another and they own a pretty popular fashion boutique around the country. Her favorite place in the world is wherever her friends and family are, among other favorites. By the end of it all, they were conversing like good friends.

"So, do you have any more siblings aside from Marika and Subaru?" She asked Ritsu before sitting on the grass by the lake like Ritsu wanted

"Yeah. My baby brother and sister; Raiden and Kohaku. They're six month old twins." Ritsuko answered as she took a picture.

"Do you have any specialties? Like hobbies aside from video games?" Chikaru followed up as she got on her stomach and posed in front of the camera.

"Does collecting video game memorabilia count? Well, I also play sports; fencing, softball, badminton and basketball are my favorites. Aside from that, I'm also good at making cocktails." Ritsu answered as they stood up. She led Chikaru to her motorcycle and had her lean her elbow on the handlebar. Chikaru asked her what might be the most taboo question she could ever ask Ritsuko.

"So…why do you have an attitude problem?" She asked. The smile on Ritsu's face promptly fell as she fixed Chikaru's hair and posture.

"I think that's a story for another time." She answered as she let each of Chikaru's silky, ebony locks slip through her fingers. Honestly, she had no intentions of ever telling her the reason for her stellar attitude problem. Because telling her meant that she would have to tell Chikaru how she ruined someone's life out of vengeance. And the reason why she did that was what worsened her attitude problem. She didn't need to know that. The moment their eyes met, however, Ritsu had no idea what happened. All of a sudden, their lips met and their tongues clashed in a battle for dominance as she cupped Chikaru's cheek while Lulim's President wrapped her arms around her neck. Both were enjoying the moment until Ritsuko abruptly pushed her away.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to. I-It's getting late; we should head back to the dorms." She decided as she gestured for Chikaru to sit on the seat of her motorcycle. She did and Ritsu climbed in front of her before starting the engine. Chikaru wrapped her arms around the girl's waist and leaned her forehead on her back, feeling the stinging pain of rejection in her heart.

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**AN: And that is Chapter II of As Time Goes By. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave your reviews and your favorites. I would really appreciate them. Thanks. Until next time. Ciao!**


	4. Chapter 3: One Month Later

**AN: Alright, here we are with Chapter III of As Time Goes By. Wow...I literally have nothing to say, except that I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Now without further ado, let's go.**

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**CHAPTER III:**

**ONE MONTH LATER**

* * *

When Chikaru and Ritsuko arrived back at the Strawberry Dorms, Tamao and Nagisa were seeing Shizuma and Miyuki to their car. Chikaru stormed inside the dorms, merely giving a nod of acknowledgement to Miator's former President and the former Etoile. Ritsuko took her helmet off, hoping that they, meaning Shizuma, wouldn't ask any questions.

"What's up with her?" Miyuki asked. Shizuma slowly turned to Ritsuko with a smug and knowing smirk on her face. If she knows Shizuma, her radar probably notified her that something happened between them.

"No, no, don't ask or say anything, Shizuma. And wipe that smug smirk off your face before I wipe it off for you." Ritsuko threateningly said before walking inside as Shizuma started laughing.

"We'll be back tomorrow before we leave!" She yelled after the girl who merely waved her hand in response.

"What's so funny, Shizuma?" Nagisa asked her beloved. Miyuki and Tamao turned to her, wanting to know the same thing.

"Well, in all the years I've known her I never thought it would seriously happen." She answered as she wiped the mirth from her eyes. Miyuki looked to Shizuma as if she had suddenly gone mad when she remembered Shizuma telling her about something back then. About a bet she made with the eldest Yamato girl.

"You're not thinking of collecting on that bet now, are you? It's been five years, Shizuma, let that one go, will you?" Miyuki asked her as she sat on the hood of the car.

"I can't do that. It's too good to pass up; I proved the almighty Ritsuko Yamato wrong!" Shizuma proudly said before kissing her girlfriend in happiness.

"Wait, what bet?" Tamao asked in confusion.

"When we were 13, about a month before we went to Miator, Ritsu-chan and her family just returned to Japan. Shizuma and her father met with them and something happened that I forgot what and she…" Miyuki began before pointing a finger at Shizuma. "…made a bet with Ritsu-chan saying that she'll fall in love someday. Though, Shizuma forgot the conditions of the bet and I'm guessing Ritsu-chan did as well."

"Wait, you're saying-" Nagisa began before being cut off by Shizuma.

"Hai, Nagisa-chan. I'm fairly certain that our resident battleship is in love. Good for her." Shizuma said before kissing her forehead.

* * *

It's been a month since that day and Ritsuko has not improved in making friends at all, much to Marika's dismay. Ever since her sister came back from her round trip around the hill a month ago, she' been more distant than usual. Her grades are okay and steadily improving but her social life; not so much. What Marika found odd, though, was how her sister and Chikaru Minamoto of Lulim seem to be nervous around each other. Which leads to Ritsuko avoiding Lulim's President. Marika thought her eyes were playing tricks on her back then but she could've sworn that she saw her sister sifting through images of Chikaru on her camera. Much to her surprise when she checked, her eyes weren't playing tricks on her after all. It took less than a second for the pieces to fall together; why her sister was nervous around Chikaru like she drank a vat of coffee, why she continuously tries to avoid her like she was the black plague, why the hell does she have a lot of pictures of the girl and why she likes to look at them like a creepy stalker would. Camera in hand, Marika decided to go to the people she hopes can help her. Entering the lounge, she was about to turn around upon seeing that they were engrossed in conversation when…

"Oh, Mari-chan!" A familiar voice called for her. Turning around, she saw Nagisa waving at her. She was seated with Yaya Nanto, Tsubomi Okuwaka of Spica along with President Suzumi. Seeing it rude to refuse her, she walked up to them and sat beside Yaya. In the span of a month, she managed to be friends with some students from Spica, including those present at the table. As much as she tried to drag Ritsuko with them, Marika could see that her older sister was uncomfortable. They've even invited them to their little tea parties but Ritsuko refused to accompany her, so she usually went alone

"This is odd; we don't usually see you without that quiet older sister of yours unless it's tea time. Where is she?" Yaya asked her with a sly smile.

"Probably sulking the hour-long break in our room as usual. Sorry if she seems rude to you; she's been bad with people since…well…since a year ago but I ain't telling you what happened." Marika said with a sheepish smile on her face. "Eto…there's something I need your help on but I think I should start explaining some things first."

"Explain away then." Tsubomi said as she drank her milk tea. Marika responded by leaning close and asking them to do the same before looking around for any signs of her sister.

"Oi, you're acting like a creep." Yaya teasingly said, leading Tsubomi to hit the older girl in the head.

"Sorry. Okay, you guys aren't going to believe this but…" The younger Yamato sister said before taking a deep breath. "…I think my sister is in love."

Needless to say, they were all surprised. To the point of having nothing to say.

"Somebody please say something." Marika requested of them.

"E-Eh?" Were the only things Nagisa could say.

"W-Wait, wait, your sister is in love? Which one are you talking about?" Tsubomi asked, for once saying something that Yaya was most likely the one to say.

"Oh, you know, the 6 month old sister we have back in Tokyo; oh my god, who do you think I was talking about?" Marika sarcastically quipped at her.

"Eh, Ritsu-chan is in love?" Nagisa asked in surprise. Marika shushed her as she gestured for the redhead to lower her voice before handing them Ritsuko's camera.

"Oh my God…" Yaya said as they looked at Chikaru's pictures in the camera. "She's in love with Chikaru-chan?"

"Probably. Day and night she looks at those photos. Before we head to breakfast, she looks at them. If she's bored but not sleepy in class, she looks at them. Before we sleep, she looks at them. I mean, any idiot with half a brain can see that she's in love with her, right?" Marika told them.

"Yeah, she's in love alright." Tamao declared with a smile before returning the camera. "So, what do you need help for?"

"Well, it's clear that Ritsu-nee likes her. And I'll have to know if she likes Ritsu-nee back. If she does, will you help me bring them together? Knowing her, she'll fight her own feelings." Marika explained to them.

"Hmm…if Chikaru-chan does indeed feel the same for your sister, leave the matchmaking to us. I have a plan." Tamao assured her

"How?" Marika asked; piqued by sudden interest. Tamao leaned in with a devilish smile on her face before speaking up.

"Are you both going to the Summer School?"

* * *

Back at the Strawberry Dorms, Ritsuko was lying on her bed, lazing around as Lunch Break was happening. Marika was probably spending time with her new friends and she didn't want to feel like the odd man out or eat, she went back here after her classes. Seeing that she had half an hour left before the break ends, she removed her glasses and the elastic band that held her back length hair in its ponytail and dipped her entire head in the tub to get the sleepiness out of her system. She would've removed her entire summer uniform first as well but it was a pain to put on when Marika isn't around to help her with the bowtie at the back. The moment she took her head off the tub, she heard a knock on the door. Wringing most of the water out of her hair, she grabbed a towel and wiped her hair before hearing the next knock. Walking out with a towel around her neck and disheveled yet somewhat dry hair, she heard the knock again.

"Alright, hang on, don't get your panties in a-oh…" She muttered out upon seeing who was on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Ritsu-chan." Chikaru greeted her with a smile. Okay, if Chikaru wasn't feeling awkward about this, Ritsuko sure as hell was. A month ago, they kissed, then she pushed her away and they've been avoiding one another for a month now. Well, more like Ritsuko avoided her. She can see how Chikaru keeps trying to approach her but she just runs with her tail between her legs. Welp, now there was nowhere for her to run. Unless she decides to jump out the window. And that would mean risking grievous injuries.

"Hey there." She responded with a small smile before throwing her towel back on her bed. "Do-Do you need a-anything?"

"Ah, hai! I do actually." Chikaru responded with a small smile. For the past month, she's been trying to approach the eldest Yamato girl but to no avail. The girl's escape tactics can either rival Shizuma's or put her tactics to shame. The girl knew how to skirt around until she finds a way to avoid her or use her sister as a shield. Whenever she approaches while Marika is around, she finds some excuse to leave Marika with her. At least, she got to be friends with the younger sister and she learned from her that Ritsuko was most likely going through something that started since the past year. What it was she had no idea. But there was something that really bothered Chikaru. There was always this question that plagues her at the back of her head; was she or was she not in love with Ritsuko?

"What is it?" Ritsuko asked with crossed arms as she leaned on the doorpost. Chikaru's eyes widened; wet, disheveled hair, crossed arms and leaning on the doorpost was suddenly the Holy Trinity that instantly increases Chikaru's affections for the taller girl in front of her.

"We-Well, I-I kinda have a-a question for myself actually." Chikaru strained to say as she loosened the tie on her summer uniform. Suddenly, she was regretting her choice on wearing a vest. Also,she felt nervous. This was odd; Chikaru Minamoto was nervous? Must be a cold day in hell; usually she oozes confidence. But for some reason; Ritsuko took that away with ease. With a single kiss from a month ago.

"What makes you think you can find your answers here?" Ritsuko asked her with a confused smile on her face. Before Chikaru could stop herself, that smile from Ritsuko propelled her to cup her cheek and press her lips against hers. Thankfully, Ritsuko wasn't too tall compared to her. Ritsuko struggled as she was pushed back into the room and Chikaru kicked the door closed behind. The elder Yamato managed to separate from her for a breath of air.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked as she took deep breaths. Chikaru pressed a finger to her lips before kissing her again, gently this time. Ritsuko's mind was in overdrive mode; she never knew that Lulim's President was a ravenous wolf. This is something she cannot tell her mother about. She was about to separate from her again and protest when Chikaru pried her mouth open with her tongue and all of a sudden, they're battling for dominance. Dare she say it, she was actually enjoying this. Chikaru, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying their lip lock. Not only that, it gave the answers to her question as well. Finally, they separated and took deep gulps of air.

"I-I think I f-found my answer." Chikaru declared in between breaths as she gently caressed the taller girl's with her thumb.

"You-you did?" Ritsuko asked in a daze as her hands wandered to Chikaru's slim hips.

"Yeah." She answered with a nod. "I am in love with you."

"Really?" The taller girl asked her. Once again, Lulim's President nodded in response. Just as they were about to kiss yet again, the door swung open.

"Ritsu-nee, classes are about to-AAAAH!"

Ritsuko snapped out of her daze and practically jumped back once she saw her sister, Tamao, Nagisa and two Spica girls standing there with huge blushes on their face. Well in addition to her blush, the raven haired girl from Spica, Yaya, if she wasn't mistaken, had a grin on her face and was giving her thumbs up.

"Mari-chan, I think you just found out the answer to your question without even asking it." Tsubomi whispered to the younger Yamato girl, who merely nodded in response. All of a sudden, Ritsuko remembered what Chikaru just confessed to her.

"Oh, fuck…you're in love with me?" Ritsuko asked her again and she nodded. This wasn't good. Not good at all. Chikaru deserved someone better than her. Someone who can make her happy and love her for all eternity. And as much as she would like to, that was something Ritsuko cannot do.

"I hate to break it to you, Minamoto-kaichou, but you're better off loving someone who isn't me. After all, in a few years; you ain't gonna want someone like me." She said with a tone of sadness and depression before donning her glasses again and walking away with her things.

"Ritsu-nee!" Marika called for her as she sadly watched her sister walk away. Why couldn't she allow herself to be happy? Surely, he would want her to. Ritsuko was the only one who deluded herself into thinking that she didn't deserve it.

"Chikaru-chan, I'm sorry for my sister's rudeness." Marika hastily said before she gave chase to her sister while Yaya, Tsubomi, Nagisa and Tamao turned to their friend.

"Are you alright, Chikaru-chan?" Nagisa asked in concern. But instead of seeing her crying, they were surprised to see her smiling.

"I'm alright, everyone. It's fine if she acts that way. After all, if there's one thing I love; it's a good challenge." Chikaru told them with a sly smile. They were confused at her behavior; was this genuine or a mask to hide her pain?

"Are you sure?" Tsubomi asked her and she responded with a nod.

"Alright, I have to head to class. See you later at dinner, everyone." She said before walking away, leaving the girls staring after her, stunned. Suddenly, Tamao remembered something.

"Nagisa-chan, we have to get to class." She reminded the redhead.

"Aaah! Let's go, Tamao-chan!" Nagisa said as she grabbed Miator's President's hand and running away like bats out of hell with Yaya and Tsubomi on their heels.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ritsuko stalked off back to Miator with a cloud looming over head. As painful as it was for her to say what she what she said; she had to. She didn't deserve the happiness that she knew Chikaru could give her. Not at all. It nearly broke her heart to have to say that.

After all, she's just realized that she was in love with Chikaru Minamoto.

* * *

**AN: And that is Chapter III. I wonder if I'm doing anything wrong for this not to get any reviews or something. Well, you guys are free to point out any errors I've made and I will try to rectify them as soon as possible. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave your reviews and your favorites. I would greatly appreciate it.**


	5. Chapter 4: A day in the Life

**AN: Hello, everybody! This is GroundZeroFirework with the new chapter of "As Time Goes By". I'm sorry to those who are reading this (if any) for the extremely late update. I got shipped off to Church camp (I'm a Baptist, mind you) for the past 3 days before I can actually update so I'm sorry for that. Anyways, without further ado, let's get this one on!**

* * *

**CHAPTER IV:**

**A DAY IN THE LIFE**

* * *

Later that evening, Marika walked into the lounge upon hearing "Moonlight Sonata" being played on the piano. Dinner was over and her sister was nowhere to be found in their room. Her hunch was right upon seeing that it was indeed her playing the piano. Slowly, the younger sister approached the older.

"Ritsu-nee." Marika called for her in worry. Ritsuko simply hummed in response as she kept playing.

"Nagisa-chan and Tamao-chan are having a tea party in their room later. With Yaya-chan, Tsubomi-chan and Etoile Hikari-sama. Want to come?" The younger girl asked her with a hopeful tone.

"Must be pretty tight with the prez for you to be calling her Tamao-chan, huh?" She said as she continued playing. "In any case, no thanks. You go ahead, though. Try not to get caught by the sister." She added, not taking her eyes off the ivory keys of the piano. Marika sighed with closed eyes, wondering why she expected a different response. She walked over to the left side of the bench and sat there.

"Ritsu-nee, why do you refuse to be friends with anyone? Tamao-chan and the others are good people and more than anything, they want to be friends with you. So why not?" She asked her. The older Yamato sister sighed and rolled her eyes as she stopped playing.

"Marika, I do not doubt that they are good people. It's not them that are the problem, it's me. You know I'm generally bad with people. And…friends…bring happiness. Happiness isn't something I deserve. Same as romantic love." Ritsuko answered as an image of Chikaru flashed through her mind's eye. As quickly as that came, it vanished and was replaced by a scene that she didn't want to remember, making her clench her fist in an attempt to suppress it.

"Why do you believe that? You know; you're the only one who's deluded yourself into thinking that! Is it because of him that you think you don't deserve happiness?" Marika asked her as she grabbed her sister's left wrist, finally forcing Ritsuko to look at her. On her left wrist was a bracer not long enough to reach her forearm but just to cover the wrist area. Imprinted in it was a sun. She was wearing a near identical bracer on her right wrist but instead of the sun; the moon was imprinted on it.

"Marika-"Ritsuko was about to say something but Marika continued with her tirade.

"No, no, you listen! Chikaru-chan loves you! I know you love her! Tamao-chan, Nagisa-chan and the others, even Etoile Hikari, want to help you. Want to be friends with you but you won't let them! Do you know how much it hurts to see you like this? Mom, Dad and Subaru? Soon enough, Kohaku and Raiden will be seeing you like this! Do you want that? For them to grow up and see their sister broken, loveless and friendless? You might want to be isolated with your video games and what not but we don't! He wouldn't! And don't act like you're the only one hurting! He was my friend too!"

With that, Marika ran away and up the stairs; unaware that Nagisa and Tamao had heard them. Rubbing her face with one hand, she hit her fist over the piano keys before following after her sister, leaving a bewildered Tamao and Nagisa behind.

"Ne, Tamao-chan, what do you think that was about?" Nagisa asked her best friend once Ritsuko was out of ear shot.

"I don't know, Nagisa-chan. But it sounds like Ritsuko-san and Marika-chan lost someone important to them. Someone so important that it prevents Ritsuko-san from making new friends." Tamao answered as she contemplated everything. Realizing that mulling over it too much won't help, she turned back to her best friend.

"Ne, Nagisa-chan. Let's head back. We still have to prepare for the tea party later." She said. Nagisa nodded in agreement and they both headed upstairs to their room.

* * *

The next day, Ritsuko was walking poolside wearing the school issued bathing suit and a jacket. Since it was summer, their PE teacher said that they will be going swimming for the day. Honestly, she didn't want to swim in a school issued bathing suit; it made her uncomfortable. She scanned the pool for Marika and saw her resurfacing from underwater.

"Oi, Ritsu-nee! Jump in!" She called as she waved. Like what happens with every fight between them, Marika was acting like nothing happened last night. Usually, Subaru brings up the issue again the day after so they can talk about it and completely resolve it but since he's not here, Ritsuko guessed that they can skip that particular process. She shed her jacket and put it on the fence before doing a back flip into the water, much to the PE teacher's shock and worry.

"Ne, let's play!" Marika whined like a child before splashing her. Ritsuko responded by sending a barrage of water right back at her.

"HADOUKEN!" Ritsuko yelled back with a smile as she sent the last set of splash towards her face. Before Marika could retaliate, she sank herself back underwater before resurfacing and turning around to see who her sister hit instead.

"Oh…" The elder of the two muttered out upon laying her eyes on the two unfortunate victims of Marika's splash attack. The younger Yamato sister hit Nagisa and Tamao in their faces.

"M-Mari-chan…" Tamao said in a deadly tone before hearing Nagisa scream and then laugh in delight. It turns out that Ritsuko went underwater and Nagisa was now sitting on her shoulders.

"Chicken Fight, anyone?" She asked with a sly smile. Tamao smiled back and took Marika on her shoulders before clashing with one another. Nagisa and Marika grabbed each other's hands and tried to push one another to the water. Things were getting fun until the PE teacher whistled. Good thing was someone won at the same time for Marika pushed Nagisa down into the water.

"Girls, if you're going to swim then swim. Don't play Chicken Fight. You might hurt yourselves or someone else." The PE Teacher firmly stated with crossed arms.

"Sorry." Marika said sheepishly as Tamao let her down. The PE teacher nodded before making a gesture to leave but at the last second, she turned back to Ritsuko.

"Oh, and Ritsuko-san, it's nice to see you make friends with people other than your sister."

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow before floating off on her back. Marika, Tamao and Nagisa did the same and the younger sister took the hand of her elder.

"Look, it's going to rain later." Nagisa pointed out as she looked at the dark clouds.

"I like swimming in the rain; makes everything colder." Ritsuko stated out loud.

"Me too!" Marika exclaimed out loud.

"But doesn't that defeat the purpose? We swim because it's hot, right?" Tamao asked them as she kept her eyes glued to the sky.

"Hmm…not really. I haven't really thought about it that way, to be honest." The eldest Yamato child stated.

"Assuming you actually think of things at all." The younger one stated. Ritsuko straightened up and pushed her sister down in the water, who thrashed around beneath. The PE teacher came out once again.

"Alright, girls, time to-RITSUKO-SAN, STOP THAT!" She yelled in a panic once her eyes settled on her. Ritsuko held her hands up in surrender and Marika emerged and coughed out water before hitting her sister in the head.

"Girls, time to come out and take a shower. It's about to rain." The PE teacher stated, resulting in most of the girls whining and complaining.

"No buts. Out…now." She firmly ordered them. Reluctantly, they all left the pool and went to the showers.

* * *

Later that day, Ritsuko was sitting in their art class in front of a canvas, mindlessly drawing as the rain poured outside. It was something she tended to do back in the States ever since she learned how to draw at the age 8 and she eventually became very good at mindlessly drawing images to the point where she can just switch out colors and still know where to apply it. Her family and teachers called it her personal gift aside from being sarcastic and witty. Even she doesn't know how she can do that. For today's class, the Art teacher decided to let them draw in color whatever they want. Just to see their art styles since she was new. They were given an hour to do so because 15 minutes after that is the end of the class and the rest of their day. 45 minutes in, Marika, who was sitting beside her, called for her and showed her a drawing of Subaru's Shiba Inu, Romeo. Ritsuko smiled at the detailed portrait of Romeo playing with a ball. When she turned back to her own portrait, however, everything came full force for Ritsuko. The portrait that she was mindlessly drawing was of a girl - whose face was covered by her long hair and was wearing jeans, boots and a hoodie - holding a boy in her arms as she cried. The boy's eyes were closed, there were blood trails on his forehead and lips as the girl cupped his cheek. In the portrait, the boy was dressed casually and nicely with his jeans, white dress shirt and black tie. By his leg were sixteen red roses while blood and obvious rainwater pooled around his body. It wouldn't take a genius to know that the boy was dead and the girl was in mourning. All of a sudden, Ritsuko's vision tunneled. Not only that but she also trembled, became dizzy, felt nauseous, had chest pains and difficulty breathing all at the same time. The art teacher, Tamao and Nagisa noticed this as did Marika, who easily recognized her symptoms. The art teacher approached her immediately.

"Ritsuko-san, breathe. Take it easy. Suzumi-kaichou, run downstairs and ask the nurse for a bottle of water!" She ordered, basically bringing the attention of everyone in the class.

"Ritsu-nee, are you alright?" She worriedly asked as she saw her sister in the mercy of a panic attack. When she looked at her sister's work, she suddenly recognized what brought it on. She scrambled for her school bag and pulled out a bottle that she's always kept with her. Everybody in the family always keeps one except Ritsuko and the twins. Their parents, Subaru, her. They kept one all the time ever since they were in Junior High when they found out that she became panic attack prone. They thought it was all over when they became third years in Junior High but after a year ago, it suddenly came back. She popped three Benzodiazepine pills in her hand just in time for Tamao to come back.

"Ritsu-nee, here." She offered as she shoved the pills and poured the water down her throat. Knowing that she was most likely going to spit out as a reflex, Marika clamped down her mouth until they knew that she had swallowed it. Finally, Marika released her and she slumped for a while until the drugs took effect.

"_Damn it, I thought we were through with this." _Marika thought as she looked at the portrait that Tamao and Nagisa were now looking at. The two girls looked at her but she shook her head as a warning of not asking.

"Are you alright, Ritsuko-san?" The art teacher asked them.

"Yes, I am." She answered as she continued to alternate between taking deep breaths and sips of water. Marika placed the bottle of pills in her sister's bag in case she ever needs them again.

"Dismissed. We'll discuss your portraits tomorrow, ladies." She declared. Most of the students filed out muttering amongst themselves about their speculations on what happened to their resident GamerBear. Nagisa and Marika helped Ritsuko up and aided her in walking. Ritsuko was in a daze and Marika mouthed to Tamao to distract her. Immediately, Tamao spoke up.

"Eto, Ritsu-chan, have you decided on a club to join yet?" She asked as she walked backwards in order to face Ritsuko.

"Cl-Clubs? No-No…not yet. I don-don't remember wha-what club-clubs this place has." She answered as she tried to calm herself down by taking deep breaths. Nagisa and Marika noticed that she was shaking like a sheep that lost its fluff.

"_Whatever that was really shook her up…Ritsu-chan…please, let us help you…" _Nagisa thought to herself. After Marika had revealed to them that Ritsuko had a problem that stemmed from a year ago that made her attitude problem worse, Tamao and Nagisa phoned up Shizuma and Miyuki to ask if they know anything about it since they seemed close to the Yamato family. Unfortunately, Shizuma and Miyuki told them that as much as they wanted to help them, they felt that either Marika or Ritsuko should tell them. Realizing this, they agreed to wait just like Marika asked them to do so a month ago.

"Well, that's fine. Come on, we'll show you the clubs." Tamao offered with a cheerful smile as they went down the stairs and entered one of the rooms. Ritsuko completely calmed down upon smelling the scent of cakes and cookies being baked and she was finally able to stand and walk on her own.

"This is the Cooking Club." Tamao clarified for her. As usual, some of the members, including Chihaya, were bustling around, making pastries as they usually did.

"Nah…cooking ain't my forte. Mari, why don't you join? You like cooking, don't you?" Ritsuko asked, only to find that her sister was no longer beside her.

"Way ahead of you, Ritsu-nee!" She called out as she approached Chihaya about joining. After a few minutes, it was settled and Marika was a member of the Cooking Club. Tamao and Nagisa also took the sisters around and showed them the other clubs such as Tea making, Japanese dancing, Ballet, Literature, Art, Drama, Kendo and Fencing. All of which Ritsuko refused because she either hated what she has to do, can't dance or too good to join said club. Okay, the last part might just be her arrogance talking and used that as an excuse to not join the club. Finally, they arrived at the Archery range. They saw Mizushima practicing with her bow and arrow. Ritsuko was mesmerized by how the arrow flew through the air and hit its mark on the target. Not even the pouring rain slowed it down. She was so fixated that she didn't realize that her sister and the other two were planning something. Tamao approached the young woman immediately.

"Mizushima-san." She called. Everyone in the Archery club greeted their President with a bow almost immediately.

"Suzumi-kaichou, is there anything you need?" Mizushima asked her.

"Hai, Yamato-san would like to try her hand at a bow and arrow so…may we borrow one?" She politely requested.

"I do?" Ritsuko asked upon hearing that she allegedly wants to try archery. Marika slapped a hand on her mouth to keep her from denying anything.

"She can borrow mine." Mizushima offered as she held the bow out. Ritsuko took it from her and she was handed a single arrow. She nocked the arrow into the bow with a little guidance.

"Do-Do you know how to use that?" Nagisa nervously asked her. She thinks it was justified for her to be nervous; the girl did just take three Benzodiazepine pills.

"Do video games count?" Ritsuko asked her as she shakily drew the bow. She accidentally released the bow earlier than she intended after taking aim and it hit near the bull's-eye.

"Heh…I guess video games do count after all." Marika said with crossed arms and a small smile as she looked at the arrow's mark. Mizushima was impressed but even she knew that it may have well been beginner's luck and handed the girl another arrow.

"Wh-What?" The elder Yamato child asked in confusion.

"Try again." Mizushima said with a small smile. Reluctantly, she took the arrow, nocked it and drew the arrow. This time, she released it seven seconds after drawing. Once again, the arrow hit near the bull's-eye mark.

"You sure you've never held a bow and arrow before?" Mizushima sheepishly asked as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Again, do you video games count?" She repeated as she handed the bow back to the girl.

"I guess." She answered with a smile. "Will you be joining us?" Mizushima asked in a serious tone. The girl was good and with a little more training, she could be an expert in it. It would be a waste for her not to hone her skills.

"Yes, she would love to!" Marika interjected for her again. Ritsuko snapped her head towards her sister's direction and was met by that saccharine smile that always promised her pain in the end.

"I guess." She answered, not taking her eyes off her sister before leaning in and whispering. "Careful, Mari. Right now, you're inclined to have an arrow lodged in your sweet ass." She threatened her sister.

"Like hell you would, you adore me." Marika responded through gritted teeth.

"Excellent. Activities are Wednesdays to Fridays after class from 3:30-6 PM. I'll drop by your room to give you your uniform." Mizushima said with a cheerful smile. Nagisa clapped and held Ritsuko by the shoulders, expressing her happiness that Ritsuko found a club where she could possibly make friends.

"Hai, well, we'll be leaving now, Mizushima-san. Arigatou." Nagisa cheerfully said as she steered Ritsuko out of the club room with Marika and Tamao trailing after them.

"Ne, let's head back to Strawberry Hall." Marika suggested as they walked under an umbrella in the rain. Tamao and Nagisa luckily brought their own umbrellas.

"Yeah, let's. So I can get enough rest for tomorrow's classes AND a club that you so charitably signed me up for, sister." Ritsuko answered, not bothering to hide the disapproval in her voice. As they walked back, they saw a familiar Lulim student running in the rain as she shielded something in her arms. The girl tripped and Ritsuko wasted no time in running to her aid. She saw that it was Kagome holding Percival.

"Are you alright, Kagome-chan?" Marika worriedly asked as she finally caught up to them. The girl sat up and gazed at her scraped knee as she clutched Percival.

"Is there a nurse's office in the dorms?" Ritsuko asked them. Tamao and Nagisa nodded their heads in response. With a sigh, she picked the girl up and carried her like a bride to the dorms while Kagome's arms were wrapped around her neck.

"Almost there, kid. Don't worry." She assured her as they walked ahead of the other three.

"Thank you, GamerBear onee-sama." Kagome passively said.

"You know you can call me Ritsu, right? No need to call me GamerBear here." She gently told the girl with a smile.

"Percival likes it." She answered as she buried half her face in Percival's head. Ritsuko realized that the girls substitutes Percival for first person words. She decided then that whatever comforts the girl is fine with her.

"Whatever you and Percival like, then." She stated as she pushed through the pouring rain to get back to Strawberry Hall, unaware that her three companions deliberately lagged behind them.

"I never knew Ritsu-chan is so good with kids." Nagisa stated in bewilderment.

"You've clearly never watched the GamerBear tribute episode that we made when the twins were born." Marika stated with a smile as she crossed her arms.

"It's such a nice sight." Tamao dreamily stated as she cupped one of her cheeks.

"Ne, let's go before Ritsu-nee realizes we're not following her anymore." Marika said. With a nod of agreement, they followed after her.

* * *

Ritsuko entered the dorms, still holding Kagome in her arms while they were dripping from rainwater. There weren't a lot of people in the lobby; just a few students either heading upstairs, to the lounge or taking refuge from the rain before they head off to other commitments in their own schools. Ritsuko immediately approached the nearest Lulim Student immediately.

"Excuse me, where's the nurse's office?" She asked as she looked around. When she turned back, she nearly dropped the currently asleep Kagome.

"_Son of a bitch." _She thought to herself.

"What happened to Kagome-chan?" Chikaru worriedly asked before setting her gaze on her knee and saw the wound. She gently smiled and put her hand on the girl's forehead. That's right; the person she asked was none other than Chikaru. Ritsuko inwardly cursed at whatever being brought her here. It was like some higher power was trying to put them together.

"I-uh…she scraped her knee. So…nurse's office?" She repeated, proud of herself for managing not to get distracted by the ebony haired beauty. Even though she could just stare at her all day long, she does have a sleeping fourteen year old in her arms. A fourteen year old who was getting heavier by the second.

"Follow me." Lulim's President said as she walked ahead of them. Eventually, they arrived at the nurse's office and put Kagome in a bed while the nurse gave them towels to dry themselves. Ritsuko dried herself off while Chikaru did so for Kagome.

"Chikaru onee-sama." Kagome muttered as she finally woke up.

"Hey…the nurse is going to put some medicine on your scratch. It's going to hurt but hold my hand tight if it does alright?" She gently instructed the girl with a smile.

"Hai." Kagome passively answered. Ritsuko sat on her other side and handed Percival to her.

"Here, kiddo." She said with a small smile. Kagome took Percival from her and held her hand as well. Just in time for the nurse to start applying Peroxide on her knee. Needless to say, for a scrawny fourteen year old, Kagome has a strong grip.

"You know it's okay to scream and cry, right." Ritsuko said as she prevented HERSELF from screaming. Chikaru was taking it in stride; as if she was used to this.

"Okay, I'm done. Kagome-chan, I want you thoroughly clean this when you take a bath, alright." The nurse gently instructed her. Kagome quietly nodded as she clutched Percival close.

"Can you walk?" Ritsuko asked her. She stood up and attempted to do so but a spike of pain caused by the wound almost made her fall. She would've had Chikaru not caught her.

"Hey, easy there, kid. Come on, I'll take you to your room. GamerBear onee-sama's got you." Ritsuko gently said as she picked the girl up like before.

"Thank you, GamerBear onee-sama." Kagome shyly said as she held Percival close and fell asleep again in record time. Though her voice was small and shy, the tone of gratitude was nonetheless present.

"I'll show you to her room." Chikaru offered before she started walking with Ritsuko trailing behind her.

"So…word around the hill is that the great Ritsuko Yamato had a panic attack in her art class." Chikaru stated in an attempt make small talk.

"Wow, word travels fast in this hill, huh? Yeah, it's true. So?" The scion of the Yamato family asked her as she contentedly watched Lulim's President walk ahead of her.

"So, who was he?" Chikaru asked her. Ritsuko knew that she was referring to the boy in the portrait. "Or was your portrait so gory that you scared yourself?" She added with the giggle that Ritsuko absolutely adored. It was like an angel herself was laughing; blessing her ears with such sweet sounds that no mortal should ever hear. Sounds that should only be reserved for God's ears. Ritsuko was raised in a liberal household - as opposed to most of the population in the Hill, who were either Christians, Shinto or Roman Catholics – because her parents wanted them to choose their own religions, so she had no idea whether or not there really was a God. Or Gods. But if there were, and if she could, she would gladly take God's place and keep Chikaru all to herself if it were possible. However, it wasn't; for Ritsuko was no God. She was a mere mortal living a sinful life who was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an angel on Earth.

"I happen to be immaculate with gore, mind you. And who he was…" She trailed off, debating whether or not she was going to tell her. Ultimately, she decided not to. "…that's a story for another time."

"I knew you'd say that." Chikaru said as she kept on walking.

"If I told you, you'd have no mysteries left with me. And you seem to be a girl who likes solving mysteries." Ritsuko said with a daring and somewhat flirtatious smirk. Truth be told, it seems like the girl has no intentions of giving up on trying to approach her and she was intrigued on what the ebony haired bombshell would do that would make Ritsuko want her more.

"That I do. We're here." She declared as she opened the door to Kagome's room. Chikaru pulled the blanket while Ritsuko set her down and took her shoes off. Chikaru tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

"_Cu-Cute…" _Ritsuko thought in her head as she put Percival beside the girl.

"Sweet dreams, Kagome-chan. I'll wake you for dinner." Chikaru whispered in her ear before they left the room.

"Something on your mind, Ritsu-chan?" She asked. It was only then did Ritsuko realize that she was staring while blushing.

"No-Nothing. I should head back. Catch some sleep while I still can. Benzodiazepine's kicking in. See you." Ritsuko said in a rush before turning around. All of a sudden, she felt a kiss on her cheek.

"Get well soon, Ritsu-chan." Chikaru whispered in her ear before rushing off, leaving her dazed until she got back to her room where Marika was expecting her with crossed arms and a sly smile on her face.

"What?" Ritsuko asked as she shut the door before removing her glasses and her boots.

"Nothing. We just saw you and Chikaru-chan take little Kagome-chan up to her room earlier. It was so cute; you both looked like a little family." Marika said with a huge smile. She was getting way too ahead of herself. If their life was an anime, Ritsuko would be seeing the bubbles and flowers with a pink background behind her smiling sister.

"Nothing by it, Mari. Don't get too excited. Kid couldn't walk and I had no idea where her room was." She said as she took her uniform off and hung it to dry - leaving her in workout shorts and a shirt that she pulled from her drawers - before starting to brush her hair.

"Ne, Ritsu-nee, do you love her? Are you sure you love her?" The younger sister asked her elder. Ritsuko stopped brushing her hair. Try as she might, when it comes to the matters of the heart, no one can lie to Marika Yamato.

"Since the day we first saw her. And yes, I'm certain I love her. As certain as-as Romeo was that he loved Juliet. As cert-certain as the birds are that they can fly. Or-or dogs that they can swim. As sure as Lancelot was that he wanted Guinevere. I'm as certain as Christian was that he loved Satine after he met her at the Moulin Rouge. As-As certain as the sun ri-rising in the east? Shit, I don't know. I'm running out of stuff to say to express my certainty in words that would make Shakespeare proud."

By the end of her tirade, Marika's mouth was basically on the floor and she was gaping like a fish. She's only heard her sister speak like that once. A year ago.

"Aside from the last parts, that is the second most poetic thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth." She said once she got her bearings yet again. "Well, why don't you go after her?" Marika asked for clarification.

"Does it really matter? I have too much emotional baggage. And after Astraea, we're moving back to the States for college, anyway. I mean, why be friends with people I'll be leaving behind anyway. And vice versa." Ritsuko reasoned as she plopped on her bed. Ah, yes. After High School, the three of them will be returning to the States for college. But while Marika and Subaru get to choose where they will be going, Ritsuko's school has been chosen for her since birth.

"Ritsu-nee, just because we're moving to the other half of the world, doesn't mean we still can't be friends with Nagisa-cha and the others. And if Chikaru-chan truly loves you as I'm sure she does, then she'll accept you, baggage and all, and wait until you come back for her." Marika tried to reason with her as she patted her knee. Ritsuko sighed before speaking up again.

"Fine, say the part with the friends is true and Chikaru does love me enough to accept and deal with my problems, Mari, we're not sure if I'll even be able to come back for her. Or any of them. I don't want to hurt anybody, Chikaru especially. I don't want her or any of them to wait for someone who'll most likely return home a corpse. Or damaged beyond repair. She may want me now but she won't in a few years. She's going to wish she never met me, wanted me or fell in love with me in a few years, Marika. I guarantee it. C'est la vie. Such is my life."

With those words spoken, Ritsuko turned away from her and fell asleep. Leaving Marika to wonder how she was going to get past her sister's reasoning.

* * *

**AN: Hi guys, gonna have to cut this short now since this is getting too long. Please leave your review or favorites. I would greatly appreciate them. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.**


	6. Chapter 5: Before the Summer Starts

**AN: Hello, everyone. I'm back with the new Chapter of As Time Goes By. To those who are actually reading this; I apologize for the delay in updates. I'll spare you the details as to why it happened but anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thanks to those who left their favorites.**

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**CHAPTER V:**

**BEFORE THE SUMMER STARTS**

* * *

Later that evening after dinner, before Ritsuko could even take a shower after Marika, a knock fell upon their door.

"What was that?" Marika wondered as she walked out the bathroom with a towel and wearing her pajamas. Ritsuko immediately opened the door and Sister Hamasaka stood there.

"Am I in trouble? Because heads of authority only visit me when I'm in trouble." She said. The sister shook her head in annoyance immediately.

"No, but you will be if you don't show proper manners." The sister snapped at her before continuing. "Your mother is on the phone. She would like to speak with the two of you."

The sisters followed her to the office immediately and handed them the phone. Ritsuko immediately put the phone to her ear.

"He-Hello?" She spoke up.

"Ritsu-chan, hi! It's mom. How are you doing there? Are you and Marika doing well?" Their mother asked on the phone.

"Huh…yeah, mom. We're doing well. Classes are fine, Marika's fine. She's eating well and she has many friends already." Ritsuko promptly reported.

"I see. What about you? Do you have friends? I hear Shizuma-chan and Miyuki-chan visit there every weekend." Takara asked them. It's true; every weekend the two visit the Hill. Shizuma; so she can spend time with her girlfriend and Miyuki; who seems to be doing the same with Tamao. If Ritsuko wasn't mistaken, she saw them hanging out more than once at the lake. Also, they even made the effort to check in on her and Marika at times; maybe even chat with them for a bit. While Marika delights in chatter with Shizuma and Miyuki, Ritsuko stayed on the sidelines, only talking when spoken to. But that also meant that Marika spilled the beans on her little crush with Lulim's President.

"Yeah…I don't do friends, mommy. And yes, Shizuma and Miyuki-nee visit. Shizuma's girlfriend is my classmate so she visits and Miyuki-nee is…visiting her successor."

That was the closest explanation Ritsuko could give her mother as to why Miyuki visits without making it sound so wrong. Without making it sound like some covert, teenage hanky-panky was going on between Miyuki and Tamao.

"I see." Takara responded.

"Uh…mom…why are you calling all of a sudden?" She asked, worried that something might've happened to their family. Especially the twins.

"Ah, yes. Your father and I have been informed of Summer School and you and Marika are going. Afterwards, you can both drive home." Their mother cheerfully reported. Her mouth hung open and she nearly dropped the phone and screamed in frustration. She was also trying to keep her temper in check and not run to the lake to drown herself. Ritsuko cleared her throat and responded, trying to keep the bite out of her voice.

"W-What do you me-mean Summer School? I can't go there; I have work to do."

"You and Marika are going and that is final." Their mother sternly said over the phone. "Don't worry, love. I'm sure your cubs can last 3 more days of you not uploading your California Games episode."

"It's not California Games; it's the CD-i and the three shitty Zelda games. And the early Halloween special that Marika and Subaru suggested." She responded through gritted teeth, earning a look of disapproval from the sister to which Ritsuko simply smiled at.

"Sure, sweetheart. Now let me talk to your sister." Her mother said.

"I-uh…ah, never mind!" She said before handing the phone over to Marika and heading outside for a bit. While Ritsuko was brooding about Summer School and lamenting at why such a dark and cruel fate has been handed out to her on a silver platter, Marika was over the moon and sugar and rainbows over the issue. Deciding to prevent a panic attack before it even starts, she popped three pills in her mouth.

"Panic attack?" A familiar voice asked her. She turned her head and saw Chikaru standing there.

"Sort of." She responded.

"Doubt it. I've been standing here for 5 minutes since you walked out. You don't seem to be having one." She said with a small smile as she walked up to her.

"I like to believe prevention is better." She said with a smirk. "So, what brings you by here?"

"Huh? Oh, I like to walk around a bit before I go to bed." Chikaru answered before looping her arm around Ritsuko's. Her face turned red at their proximity.

"_She's too close." _She thought to herself as she tried to cover her blush.

"I'll take your word for it but the next time I see you popping those pills without a panic attack, I'm telling your sister." Chikaru whispered in her ear. All of a sudden, Marika walked out of the room and she separated from Lulim's President.

"Ritsu-nee, the sister wants to talk to you." Marika told her before her eyes landed on Chikaru. "Ah, hello, Chikaru-kaichou!" She cheerfully greeted. Ritsuko walked in the office immediately. Anything to avoid Chikaru at this time of night.

"Something the matter, ma'am?" She asked as politely as she could, all the while maintaining her bored and disinterested expression.

"Ah, Yamato-san, please sit." She requested. Ritsuko immediately did so as she sighed.

"I hear from Suzumi-kaichou that you had a panic attack in your art class earlier. Are you doing well now?" The sister asked her. Ritsuko inwardly groaned; just another head of authority feigning concern.

"Yes, that's true. I'm doing well now. Marika gave me some pills that she always kept with her." She coldly answered. The sister hummed before continuing on.

"Ritsuko-san, are you in need of therapy? We have a therapist here for students to talk to." The sister informed her. The elder Yamato sister scoffed.

"I assure you that it's unnecessary, Sister Hamasaka but I prefer to handle this on my own." She responded.

"I see. Well, you may leave." The sister said and Ritsuko stood up and left the room. Marika greeted her and wrapped an arm around her older sister's own arm.

"Hey, where's Minamoto-kaichou?" Ritsuko asked out of the blue as they walked.

"Ara, what's this? Ritsu-nee suddenly getting the urge to see her beloved?" Marika teasingly asked her as she pinched her sister's cheek.

"Shut up. Forget I even asked." She responded with an exasperated sigh and a roll of her eyes.

* * *

A few days after that conversation came the last days of exams. During the lunch break, Ritsuko went back to the dorms to get some sleep and when she woke up, she was already 5 minutes late for her French exam. She rode her bike to Miator; praying that no one heard the roar of her motorcycle. Though that's kinda moot because everyone probably heard it since the Hill was pretty quiet. Once she arrived, she bolted inside the building. She slowly opened the door and she was glad to see that Oosaki-sensei was asleep at her desk while Marika took the liberty of getting her a test paper. Nagisa, Tamao and Marika looked her way and they gestured for her to sneak to her seat.

"_This is so wrong. I should be scolding her for being late. But…" _Tamao thought as she winced on the inside at what she was doing. Ritsuko needed to pass this exam so she can go to Summer School and therefore, they can enact their plan so she decided to do the scolding later. Ritsuko walked as stealthily as she could to her seat. Nagisa looked back to Oosaki-sensei and saw that she was waking up and frantically started making a gesture for her to go back outside. Ritsuko jumped back out of the room immediately while her three accomplices turned back to their work.

"Fifty minutes." Oosaki-sensei reminded them. After that, she dropped her head back into her desk. Again, the three made gestures for Ritsuko to enter. She slowly tiptoed and just as she was halfway through the room, Oosaki-sensei decided to completely wake up. She immediately got on her knees with the intent of crawling, not realizing that their teacher saw her. Said teacher took her shoes off and walked over to the crawling student's destination. Being a former student of Miator, she knew every trick in the book that students used when they were late; from sneak tactics to excuses. Hell, she's used some of them herself. But no student of hers was going to do that. Nope. Not in her class.

"_Come on, just a bit more. Then you can dance around in victory and do the fuckin' rain dance if you want." _Ritsuko mentally goaded herself. However, she was too busy doing this that she didn't notice a pair of stocking clad legs stop in front of her until she bumped into them. Nervously, she looked up and saw a none too pleased French teacher with crossed arms in front of her. Ritsuko mentally pleaded with herself to not make a smart ass comment like she did back in Junior High whenever she was late. Unfortunately, she just had to have verbal diarrhea of a different kind today.

"Uh…hey, gorgeous, you taken?" She asked in a flirtatious manner. Unbelievable. Even she couldn't believe what she just said. But she admired her own lady balls though.

"_WHAT THE FUCK, BRAIN?" _She mentally asked herself. Most of the class laughed. Nagisa and Tamao looked horrified while Marika dropped her face in her palm. She wished that Hades would just grab her now and drag her into Lake Cocytus. Sure she ran her mouth and usually back talked teachers whenever she was late but even she has to admit that this was new.

"No, I am not. Why are you late?" Oosaki-sensei asked in frustration as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I…uh…I fell asleep on the dorms." She sheepishly admitted with a smile.

"I will let this slide once." Oosaki-sensei warned her before walking back to her desk. With a sigh of relief, Ritsuko sat down on her desk and worked on the exam that was handed to her.

She finished it in 40 minutes…

* * *

"Ah, finally!" Nagisa rejoiced as she stretched her arms out. Compared to last year, she's pretty confident that she'll pass French this time, so she figured she can rest easy tonight.

"Hello, summer!" Marika yelled as she packed her things up. Ritsuko could only smile at her sister's happiness before Tamao pulled at her ear.

"Ow, lady, I need that!" She complained as she hissed in pain.

"And why were you late?" Tamao sternly asked her. "You know Miator has low tolerance for tardiness. You're lucky Oosaki-sensei was feeling generous today."

"Were you deaf for a moment earlier? I said I fell asleep and-and CRIPES, LADY! DO YOU CRACK WALNUTS FOR A PART TIME JOB OR SOMETHING?" The eldest Yamato child yelled at her. Tamao's hands may be dainty but they sure pack some power in them.

"I will let you slide once but next time, I'm sending you to the sister." Tamao said as she released Ritsuko's ear. She immediately packed up and grabbed her things before they walked out of the room.

"Now we play the waiting game." Marika said as she put her hands at the back of her head while they walked. They went downstairs and started their trek back to the dorms with Ritsuko pushing her motorcycle back to Strawberry Hall. Ever since exams started, the club activities have been put on hold and would continue once summer break is over.

"Oh, so this is what was roaring earlier." Nagisa said as she touched the handlebars of Ritsuko's bike.

"You heard it?" She asked, embarrassed that she probably caused such a commotion around the place.

"We're pretty sure the entire Hill heard it, Ritsu-nee. I swear, you drive like it's Mad Max here." Marika shot out with a bored expression on her face as they walked.

"S-So, what do you guys plan to do for the summer?" Ritsuko curiously asked as they walked. She may not like talking to people but her curiosity does get the best of her at times.

"I'm going home. Visit my family." Tamao responded, excited at the prospect of seeing her parents and her younger brother.

"Shizuma's picking me up from here after summer school. Her father's abroad for now so she says we can have some alone time together at their home." Nagisa responded with a smile on her face.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." The elder Yamato sister said with a small smile on her face.

"What about your parents? Are they fine with this?" Marika asked her in curiosity.

"Yes, they are. They love Shizuma and Shizuma loves them. They're still overseas right now, so they're happy I get to spend the summer with someone. They thought I would be too lonely." She answered.

"When did they meet?" The younger Yamato sister asked.

"Last Christmas."

"Ara, what about you two? What are your plans?" Tamao asked them.

"Hmm…depends if we're going out of the country. If not, we go home, help our parents take care of the twins, upload a couple of new videos for my cubs. Maybe get into a fist fight with my brother." Ritsuko stated like it was no big deal. The other two decided to not even ask what she meant at the last part.

"In other words, be a stay at home dweeb." Marika said with a teasing tone. Ritsuko promptly got annoyed as usual.

"Hey, Mari, why don't you go there ahead of us so I can run you over with my bike?" She suggested through gritted teeth. All of a sudden, they spotted Chikaru with her three…musketeers walking out of Lulim.

"I think I'm gonna turn around and go the other way." She whispered to Marika. Just as she was about to do so, she felt someone tug on her skirt. She almost jumped a tree when she saw who it was.

"Whoa! God, Kagome-chan, when did you get here?" She asked as Marika, Nagisa and Tamao laughed at her expense. It should not be possible for Kagome to get here as fast as she did; her knee was still bandaged, which means her wound hasn't completely healed yet.

"GamerBear onee-sama, why were you going to turn around?" She asked her. Ritsuko's eyes widened in surprise; it was like this kid saw right through her because it's impossible for her to have heard her. Well, she couldn't exactly tell the kid that she was going to avoid their President so she wouldn't have to deal with the flurry of emotions that she feels whenever she sees her.

"I…uh…just thought I'd take the scenic route, is all." She said with a nervous laugh. Kagome didn't look convinced though.

"Percival thinks you're avoiding Chikaru onee-sama." She blankly stated.

"_FUCK! IS THIS KID AN ESPER?" _She mentally asked herself as her eyes rapidly blinked. It was like Kagome read her mind. She hoped Chikaru didn't hear that; because she was now standing next to Marika talking to her while Kizuna and Remon were talking to Nagisa and Tamao. She promptly decided to just ignore what Kagome just said.

"Hey, want me to push you back to the dorms on this motorcycle?" She asked with a smile. Kids like motorcycles, right? Thankfully, Kagome easily climbed aboard and started fiddling with the handlebars, pretending she was racing. It caught everyone's attention and frankly, they found it odd that their usually passive Kagome was playing like a normal child on motorcycles.

"Ne, Kagome-chan, don't touch anything. You could get hurt." Chikaru warned the little 14-year-old.

"Especially the horns. I'll get in trouble for it if it starts blaring." Ritsuko said as she pushed the bike with the others trailing behind them. Well, Chikaru was on the other side of the bike, remaining vigilant should anything happen to Kagome.

"You can get on if you want to." Ritsuko offered her with a small blush on her face.

"Oh, really? I expected you to be the type of person who's overprotective with their vehicles." Chikaru said with a lighthearted giggle.

"Do I really give off that aura? If I was, I wouldn't let Kagome-chan on it. Come on, don't be shy. Get on if you want." She said. Kagome scooted over and patted the seat. Reluctantly, Chikaru climbed aboard, forcing Ritsuko to loop her arm around her body so she can grasp the other handlebar, all the while trying to hide the massive blush on her face. The other girl decided to tease her by pinching her cheeks.

"Keep doing that; I will let go of this motorcycle and injure you both." Ritsuko said as her cheek was being pinched. She immediately let go of her cheek and giggled as they moved towards Strawberry Hall, not minding their previous companions watching them as if they were in the cinema.

"She can deny it all she wants; we all know that she likes Chikaru-chan." Marika whispered to both Tamao and Nagisa. "Are we all set, Tamao-kaichou?" She added.

"All set. I have what we need." She responded with a smile and a thumbs up. Marika decided that should this plan fail, as a reward for even trying, she would tell them about her sister's past. At why she had so many problems than the average 17 year old should. Privacy be damned, she's doing it.

* * *

2 days later, their French exam papers were released to them. They all passed their classes but they were just receiving the results for their French class exam. She can see that Marika was already rejoicing over the 90 she got on the exam as were Nagisa and Tamao, who received an 89 and a 94, respectively. Nervously, Ritsuko turned her paper over and her mouth hung open upon realizing her Summer School fate was sealed...

She got a 93.

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**AN: Alright. That is Chapter V! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And as always, please leave your favorites and your reviews. Thanks for reading! Bye! **


	7. Chapter 6: Summer School

**AN: Hello, everyone, GroundZeroFirework here with a new update. I know it's been…like…2-3 months since my last update but here we are now with Chapter VI of this story. Thanks to those who left their reviews, favorites and follows. Let's get started then!**

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**CHAPTER VI:**

**SUMMER SCHOOL**

* * *

About 3 days after getting the results of their exams, the girls from all three schools were boarding buses for Summer school. Those who chose not to go would be staying in the Hill until they returned. Unfortunately, the Etoiles had to stay behind to work; meaning Amane and Hikari can't come, much to the chagrin of the others. Unlike the others, Marika and Ritsuko would be convoying with the bus since they would head home after the three days worth of activities.

"Ritsuko-san, please follow as close as you can. Otherwise, you might miss it." Sister Hamasaka warned them. Ritsuko and Marika were perched on their motorcycles, wearing the appropriate gear for travelling by motorcycle.

"Yes, Sister." Marika responded with a nod. The sister nodded, pleased by her answer and boarded the bus just as Amane and Hikari approached.

"Etoile Amane-sama, Etoile Hikari-sama, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Ritsuko politely asked.

"We're just here to see everyone off. Please be careful on the road, Ritsuko-san. I hear you're prone to road rage." Amane sincerely said with a small smile. Ritsuko slowly turned her head to Marika, who laughed nervously. No doubt Marika told everyone at their tea parties when Hikari was there and she, in turn, told Amane.

"Well, we appreciate the well wishes, Etoile Amane-sama." Ritsuko said as she looked back at the two women.

"Good luck, Mari-chan, Ritsuko-san. Be careful on the way home." Hikari said with her ever angelic smile.

"Thank you." Marika said. All of a sudden, the bus' engine roared, meaning it was time for them to go. After making sure one last time that their things were properly tethered to their bikes, the sisters donned their helmets and drove after the bus. The drive was long yet uneventful with Marika driving by Nagisa and Tamao's side of the bus and Ritsuko to Yaya and Tsubomi's. Of course, she couldn't resist waving to her favorite middle schooler; Kagome. And she almost lost control of her bike when Chikaru devilishly winked at her. Eventually, they managed to make it to the venue in one piece.

"Christ, my ass is sore." Ritsuko remarked as she took her helmet off.

"It was a fun drive though. I felt like one of those American biker gangs that travel across the country." The younger Yamato girl remarked as she took her helmet off and stood up.

"Yeah, it kinda did." She responded with a small smile on her face before standing up. She tried to walk but fell flat on her face instead.

"My leg is dead." She mumbled as she got up. Pulling a bottle from her pocket, she took two more pills before grabbing her things and limping over to the entrance. Marika received their key from the Sister and they went up ahead. They were allowed to go swimming in the beach and some students were already heading there in their swim wear. As usual, Ritsuko had to make some sort of sick Faustian bargain with Marika. Now, minutes later, Marika was waiting for her with Tamao and Nagisa in the beach.

"Where is she?" Marika questioned for the hundredth time in the past 20 minutes as she paced around.

"Mari-chan, perhaps you should calm down and be patient. I'm sure she's just getting prepared." Nagisa tried to assure her but to no avail.

"No, no, she's not the type of person to care about what she normally looks like." She reminded them as she rubbed her forehead.

"Look, Mari-chan, see where she comes." Tamao pointed out. True enough, Ritsuko was finally approaching them from the summer villa with a beach umbrella. When Marika saw her, she found out that, in contrast to the saintly image she's shown in their old school and, so far, in St. Miator, she CAN be exasperated in a split second.

"You have got to be kidding me…" She said as she saw her older sibling. Tamao and Nagisa can only look with half amused and half confused faces at Ritsuko's unusual beachwear.

"What'd I do this time? We compromised, didn't we?" Ritsuko asked in confusion. Much to Marika's chagrin, Ritsuko was wearing sneakers, board shorts and a jacket. The board shorts was Ritsuko's part of the compromise and Marika knew how much her sister hated getting sand in her feet so she let her wear sneakers, but the jacket was totally not part of the deal!

"Yes, but what about THAT?" The younger sister asked as she pointed to the jacket.

"Seaside is chilly." Was her only response. But Marika would have none of it. In a split second, she brought the zipper down, revealing what Ritsuko hid underneath. Much to Tamao and Nagisa's surprise; for someone who spent most of her time sitting in front of the TV, Ritsuko wasn't wearing her glasses and she had a nice, shapely figure with the beginnings of abdominal muscles in her stomach. Her breasts weren't too big or small and were covered by a black bikini top. All in all, she has the body of a model and if they weren't in love with other people, they probably would have fallen for her.

"Take a picture, ladies, it'll last longer." Ritsuko teased them with an arrogant smirk. It was only then that the two realized that their mouths were hanging open.

"I thought you spent most of your time playing video games?" Tamao finally voiced out. Ritsuko scoffed at her question as they walked.

"Please. As if our father would actually let us sit on our asses without doing anything physical every once in a while." She responded. As they walked at the beach and passed by everyone, she can feel some people ogling her and that made her very uncomfortable.

"Mari, can I wear a shirt now? Or at least zip this up?" Ritsuko asked her. It was a blow to her pride to ask her younger sister if she can change clothes but Marika would throw a fit if she suddenly did.

"No." She answered as she led them to Yaya and the others. The Spican girl wolf whistled upon seeing them.

"Whoa, ladies. If I'm not in love with someone else, I'd be all over you like a wolf right now." She said with a devilish smirk on her face. Unfortunately, Tsubomi heard her.

"Baka! Don't just say things like that!" The younger girl admonished her elder as she threw sand at her. Ritsuko paid them no heed and let them slug it out like a married couple as she planted their beach umbrella in the sand and sat under it. Anybody who has watched her GamerBear episodes would know that Ritsuko Yamato is not a fan of the sun. She was pretty sure she mentioned it in one of her episodes. She would've also worn a rash guard but Marika wouldn't let her.

"Ritsu-nee! Let's play!" Marika called her from afar. She simply waved her hand in decline as a response. The others were already playing beach volleyball with Remon and Kizuna while Chiyo and Kagome were making a sand castle.

"Ara…I remember you saying you're not a fan of the sun but I didn't realize you hated it so much." A familiar voice said. When Ritsuko looked up, she felt a nosebleed coming on. Sitting beside her was Chikaru Minamoto, wearing nothing but a black two piece swimsuit and a sun hat. Her hair was tied in braids and she was holding a bottle of sunscreen.

"Yeah. I totally hate the sun." She responded as she scooted away from her for a few inches and looked for ANYTHING to distract her from the Chikaru. Damn, does she have it bad for this woman.

'Hanazono must be laughing in her house or wherever the hell she is right now.' She thought to herself. She hasn't forgotten that bet she made with Shizuma years ago. Though she has forgotten the reason and conditions…

* * *

Miles away in Tokyo, Shizuma Hanazono sneezed in her class.

'Someone must be thinking about me. I hope it's my darling Nagisa-chan. I miss her.' She thought before tuning out the boring monotone lecture and thinking about her beloved.

* * *

Back at the beach, it was Nagisa who sneezed this time, making her miss her spike and the ball flew over her head. But back to Ritsuko and Chikaru…

"Ne, can you help me put this on?" Chikaru requested of Ritsuko. Again, her blush returned tenfold as she was very surprised.

"Excuse me?" She asked with wide eyes. Chikaru gestured to the bottle and it became clear to her what she wanted.

"Um…can't you get one of your three musketeers to do it?" She asked, hoping that she would take the hint and ask them instead.

"I would but they're having so much fun right now and I don't want to suddenly pull them away from that." She answered with a small, shy smile. Ritsuko could only sigh.

"Lie on your stomach then."

Immediately, Chikaru did so with a pleased expression on her face. With shaky hands, Ritsuko untied the lace around her neck and gently set it down before putting lotion on her hands and lathering it on the girl's back. Boy, was her skin soft, smooth and silky. Before she knew it, she was basically giving her a back rub. Chikaru, meanwhile, was definitely not complaining. She has rather strong hands for a girl. Makes her wonder if that's the fruit of all her video gaming labor…

"So…enjoying it?" Ritsuko nervously asked as she massaged the ebony haired girl's back.

"Definitely." Chikaru managed to maon out. Marika's mouth hung open upon seeing what her sister was doing and had the urge to make a smart ass comment. But instead, she opted to not ruin the moment and simply raced with Nagisa.

"Well…uh…hate to ruin your enjoyment but I kinda lathered every inch of your back so…yeah." The elder Yamato girl informed her as she stopped and sat back on the sand again. Chikaru tied the lace on her neck once more and sat beside her.

"Won't you be swimming?" She asked.

"In a bit." She responded as she scratched the back of her neck. Suddenly, a devious thought entered her mind. She loved seeing Ritsuko flustered. It was adorable. Now, she wondered how hard she can make the girl blush. And if it will actually make her nose bleed.

"Then, don't you need some sunscreen?" Chikaru asked her with a smile on her face. Ritsuko's danger radar was alarmed by that smile. Her senses were telling her to run fast and far because that smile did not bring good news. And instead of listening, she stayed put like the dumb idiot she is.

"I can manage." She nervously replied. Apparently, her instincts were right. Chikaru immediately straddled her. All of her blood basically travelled north and she was pretty sure she had a massive blush on her face.

"Chikaru-san, w-what are you doing?" Ritsuko nervously asked her as Chikaru removed her jacket.

"Putting some sunscreen on you, silly." She replied as she poured some of the lotion on her hand.

"I can see that but it kinda looks like we're breaking the law here." She pointed out as she propped herself up on her elbow.

"No one cares. They're having fun right now." The ebony harid girl responded as she gently applied sunscreen to her nose, face and shoulders. Chikaru giggled at how adorable the girl is. Out of the desire to give one of her elbows some respite, Ritsuko wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her closer to her face just as Chikaru finished applying sunscreen on her stomach.

"Hey, look at this!" Nagisa called for her friends. Marika's eyes widened at what they were seeing.

"Whoa! Already and in public? Your sister moves fast, Mari-chan!" Yaya praised as she watched. Now the only thing she needs is popcorn and it'll be like watching a movie…

"That isn't what's happening, Yaya-chan." Tamao states as she wringed the water out of her hair.

"I say we all just sit pretty here and observe this development." Marika suggested. They agreed with her and played but stayed in an area where they can perfectly see Ritsuko and Chikaru.

Meanwhile, back at the beach…

"So…are you enjoying it?" Chikaru cheekily asked the girl, who seemed to be having a hard time deciding between getting a nosebleed and flat out fainting.

"Yes…yes, I am." Ritsuko honestly answered. She wanted so badly to press her lips to Chikaru's but she stopped herself.

"Good." She responded as she leaned in to try and kiss her but the girl managed to gently get her off of her lap before standing up and shedding her jacket.

"Yaya-chan, race me!" Ritsuko blurted out as she took her shoes off and ran towards the water. The ebony haired Spican was confused at the request.

"What in tarnation?" She muttered as Ritsuko swam past her.

"Race me! First one to the buoy wins!" She yelled back.

"Hey, no fair!" Yaya yelled out before following after her. Marika, Nagisa and Tamao looked towards Chikaru in confusion. Chikaru, meanwhile, merely gave them a knowing smile and walked off to escort Kagome while swimming, lest the girl hurt herself.

"Uh…eto…Nagisa onee-sama…" Chiyo nervously called for her. Chiyo was pointing towards one direction and when they turned, they saw Ritsuko and Yaya having a splash fight while debating who won the race.

It took 30 minutes and four people to get them to stop and swim back to shore. But they had a good laugh about it. Even Ritsuko…

* * *

The first night of summer school was pretty uneventful and free for them to do whatever they wanted. The second day sent them packing for the hills for most of the day. Though she hated hiking, Ritsuko was glad that she went because she managed to get some photography shots of the flowers, the scenery and the girls (though she took a picture of Chikaru and Marika more often than the others). Now, the second night begins and with it; the test of courage. As of now, the students were picking their numbers out of a box.

"So…we just pick a number, find the broad who holds the same number as I do, travel through the woods until you get to the chapel...and pray?" Ritsuko asked Marika for clarification. The younger of the two hummed in response and in approval of her query.

"Nagisa-chan did say it was pretty linear. The path to the chapel, I mean."

"Good. I just hope there ain't a crazy maniac with a chainsaw, hungry for the blood of poor Japanese school girls out there." The older girl said with a roll of her eyes as she put a hand in the box and fished out a piece of paper. Then she left as Marika grabbed one as well.

"What did you get?" The younger asked her elder.

"69." She said with a serious expression on her face. Then she giggled after Marika gave her a glare.

"I'm sorry. It's 31." She honestly answered this time. "Yours?"

"46. Hey! Anyone got 46?" She yelled around as Nagisa was approaching.

"Ah, Mari-chan! I got 46!" She reported. Marika's eyes lit up in glee at having a friend for a partner.

"Hey, hey, who has 31?" Marika yelled out as she pointed towards her sister. Suddenly, Chikaru stepped in front of them and showed her the paper.

'Oh, well, call me Sally and fuck me with a cactus…' The elder Yamato girl thought with a groan as she slapped her face with her palm.

"Yo!" Chikaru greeted her as she wrapped her arms around Ritsuko's left arm.

Of all the people who had to get 31, it had to be Chikaru. Suddenly, she spotted Tamao and saw that she was giving Marika and Nagisa a thumbs up gesture. It surprised her to see them doing the same. Then it dawned on her what happened.

'Oh, you little brats…' She thought to herself in disdain upon realizing that either Nagisa or Tamao had switched numbers with Chikaru. And Marika was in on it.

Time went on. It was almost midnight and finally, it was Ritsuko and Chikaru's turns to do the test. They entered the forest and started walking on the path.

"So, what am I supposed to expect with this test?" Ritsuko asked as they walked. Chikaru was still clinging to her arm with a happy smile on her face.

"Nothing much. Just keep walking and…" She droned on, unaware that Marika and Tamao were tailing them. The President set up her machinations earlier with Yaya before the test started. Once Ritusko and Chikaru got to the first checkpoint, Tamao activated the booby trap.

"KYAH!" Chikaru yelled out in fright. Keep in mind; this is Chikaru Minamoto we're talking about. She has always been good with horror in general. But that's because she can see them coming. A prop of a skeleton hanged man in the woods during a test of courage was…well…totally unexpected. Ritsuko, meanwhile, kept her cool and held onto the candle.

"Heh…"

That was the only response she gave before dragging her away.

"Come here." She told Lulim's president before wrapping an arm around her. She snaked her arms around her waist in response as they walked, the ebony haired girl feeling safe in her arms.

"What the hell kind of a plan is that? We're supposed to get them together; not kill them via a heart attack!" Marika angrily whispered to Tamao.

"Don't worry. There are more of these coming their way. And if there's one thing I know; a good scare makes people confess their love for their significant other." She responded with a smile. Marika blinked rapidly before taking a deep breath and responding.

"First off; you watch too many movies. Secondly; my sister is immaculate to horror related things. And third; that only happens when both parties are in the danger of dying!"

"Ne, it'll be fine. Trust me." Tamao assured her with a confident smile. Well, she is Miator's president. She needed to be confident. Otherwise, Miator would probably be in a full scale war with Spica.

Meanwhile, as Ritsuko and Chikaru were travelling down the forest, several cheap horror props kept popping out everywhere. It caused the latter some unexpected frights while the former took it all in stride. Marika, Tamao, Yaya and Tsubomi started breaking into cold sweats when Ritsuko still managed to sing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" while Chikaru was close to passing out, having a heart attack, throwing up or pissing her pants. Possibly even a combination of all four. Thankfully, the singing calmed her down as they kept walking.

"Yankee Doodle, keep it up. Yankee Doodle Dandy. Mind the music and your step and with the girls be handy."

The ebony haired girl felt immense relief at hearing her sing. It calmed her down greatly after the influx of jump scares that suddenly happened. She sang like she was a true American. There wasn't a hint of Japanese accent in her voice, even though she was perfectly fluent in Japanese.

"Calm down. Almost there." The Yamato girl assured her. She looked up and indeed, the chapel was in sight.

"Thank God! I feel like we've been walking for hours!" She stated in relief.

"It's been 20 minutes." Ritsuko said as she led Chikaru to the chapel. They entered and kneeled by the altar and prayed. Well, Chikaru prayed, Ritsuko pretended to. She had no religion…yet. So she didn't want to pray without sincerity. Finally, Chikaru was done and she noticed a piece of paper on the altar. She picked it up and immediately read it.

"Bonus task for the 31st pair; confess feelings for your partner."

Ritsuko grabbed it from her and scrutinized the note. After a while, she burned it on the candle.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked in curiosity.

"Because that's my sister's and Aoi's handwriting." Was her only response as she watched the paper burn. When it was almost burnt out, she dropped it on the floor and stepped on it.

"Indulge me." Chikaru firmly requested of her. With a sigh, the scion of the Yamato family set the candle down before pressing their lips together. Chikaru was quick to respond and wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck. After a while, the pair separated.

"I like you. A lot. But I can't be with you." Ritsuko told her. It was clear that it pained her to say that. It took her every fiber of her being to not declare her love for her and sweep her off her feet before they ride off into the night.

"Why? I don't understand. Make me. Help me understand." The girl begged as she was on the verge of tears.

"You're just too good for me. I…just don't deserve you." She answered before she dragged her back to the place they were staying at; not realizing that the others were watching them.

"Well…that was a bust." Yaya remarked with crossed arms. Marika was rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"I know. I need you all to go to our room later. Bring Chikaru with you. It's time you all learned why Ritsu-nee is the way she is." The younger Yamato girl declared as they all trekked back to the venue.

* * *

**AN: And that is Chapter VI! I apologize for the long wait to those who were waiting for this. Anyway, please leave your reviews, favorites and follows if you like this story or the chapter. I would really appreciate it. Peace out, y'all! **


	8. Chapter 7: Her Story

**AN: Hello, everybody! GroundZeroFirework here with the latest Chapter of "As Time Goes By". Now, here we will know what exactly is going on in Ritsuko's noggin' and why she's kinda afraid of people and Chikaru, especially. Thanks to those who left their reviews and favorites and follows. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**CHAPTER VII:**

**HER STORY**

* * *

Later that evening, Nagisa, Tamao, Yaya and Tsubomi entered Marika and Ritsuko's room with Chikaru in tow. They'd found the girl sulking on her room at yet another rejection from the elder Yamato girl. When they entered, Marika turned in the (conveniently placed) swivel chair, looking like the most menacing female Bond villain.

"Is this the part where you say 'I've been expecting you, Mr. Bond?'?" Yaya jokingly said. For once, Tsubomi didn't hit her over the head, which was surprising. Another thing that surprised them was that Marika didn't even giggle; she always giggled at Yaya's jokes, whether just to be polite or it's genuine. This time, it was like someone sucked Marika's soul out.

"No. This is the part where you park your asses in either the bed or the floor." She responded as she threw Nagisa an album. The girl fumbled but eventually caught it before she sat down on the floor. The leather bound album was colored green with milky pink linings and it was very intricate.

"How familiar are you with Sakura International Academy?" The younger Yamato girl asked them.

"Top coed academy in the country. Not to mention one of the most expensive." Tamao answered, confusion apparent in her voice. Astraea Hill tuition, and that means all three schools, doesn't even come close compared to how expensive tuition is in Sakura International.

"Heh…you forget; Astraea Sister School. Now, when we studied there, we had this system called the _'Taiyou and Tsuki'_. The sun and the moon." Marika explained with a small smile. All of a sudden, Tsubomi spoke up.

"Ah, I remember that. One of my classmates mentioned it to me. The Taiyou and the Tsuki are like the Etoiles. The Taiyou is the male and the Tsuki, the female. They're highly respected and not to mention, they wield so much power among the student body. Apparently, they're higher than the student council itself. The council can't make a decision without the approval of the Taiyou and the Tsuki. If the Etoiles have their necklaces, they have the bracers."

"Are you going to believe me if I say Ritsu-nee was a tsuki?" Marika asked with the straightest face she could muster.

"No. That can't be right." Nagisa said with a small smile as she rubbed her head, all the while hoping that she hadn't offended Marika by doubting her.

"Why not?"

"Because as far as I remember, only those with exceptional grades and attitude are picked to be Taiyou and Tsuki." Tamao answered for her. Marika was impressed. That was a valid reason to be doubtful.

"Open the album." She told them. Nagisa flipped the cover and they were all shocked to see a photo of Ritsuko, when she seemed to be about 13, with a black haired green eyed Japanese boy. Both had wide smiles on their faces and it seemed that she was genuinely happy here.

"That was when they won the elections. My sister isn't the exemplary student our parents hoped she would be but oh, she was a natural leader. And Sakura International's students and faculty respected her for that. You'd think she's a smooth son of a bitch right now, but in reality. She's extremely damaged on the inside." Marika explained as she watched them flip from one page to another. One picture was of them during the Sports Festival. Another was of Ritsuko and the boy on a fishing trip. One of them was of the boy giving her a piggy back ride.

"Damaged on the inside. Remind you of somebody, Nagisa?" Tamao asked the girl. Nagisa gave a small chuckle as did Marika. Yes, Marika and Ritsuko were now privy to what happened to Shizuma before Nagisa came along, thanks to Yaya. The Lulim President, meanwhile, was getting _slightly _jealous of the boy. Because he made Ritsuko happy and she couldn't do that.

"Who was he?" She finally asked, her voice cracking in the middle of the question. The younger Yamato sister took a deep breath before answering her.

"His name…" She began as she held back the tears. "…was Raiden Katsumoto. He was Ritsu-nee's best friend since we returned here."

"Raiden? Isn't that your brother's name?" Yaya asked her. Marika nodded yet again.

"Ritsu-nee named our brother after him. Rai-nii used to tell her that if he were to have a daughter, he would name her Kohaku. That's where she got Kohaku's name. Rai-nii was favored to be the Taiyou but he wasn't going to run unless Ritsu-nee could run with him. She was the moon to his sun." Marika explained with a wistful smile. It had been an entire year and the subject of Raiden Katsumoto was forbidden in their home to the point where they couldn't even mention the Katsumoto boy's name without ticking Ritsuko off. Funny thing was she always knew which Raiden they were referring to.

"Wait, I don't get it. Ritsu-san obviously had power and position in your old school. Why would she leave?" Tsubomi asked in confusion. It just doesn't add up; here's a girl who could have everything she wanted in Tokyo; money, her family, her work, respect and power at her old school. No sane person in their right mind would leave all that.

"Good question, Tsubomi-chan. If you'll notice, my sister wears a sun and a moon bracer. She's the only Tsuki who was permitted to keep the bracers upon stepping down." The younger Yamato girl said before continuing with her story. "Tradition isn't the only thing that brought us here. We had to get Ritsu-nee away from Tokyo and Sakura International."

They all had a bad feeling about this…

"Why?" Tamao asked with an apprehensive tone.

"Because the boy is dead." Marika declared with a straight face.

"What?" Chikaru asked to check if what they heard was correct.

"Raiden Katsumoto is dead. He's the reason why Ritsu-nee doesn't want friends. She thinks she let him die. And ever since then, she's been doing everything she can to make sure that no one gets hurt because of her ever again. She's scared that somehow, someday, every single one of you will be hurt by her, directly or indirectly." She responded.

"Did she love him?" Chikaru asked her. She was aching to know if there was something beyond friendship between Raiden and Ritsuko. If so, then she would bow out. At least until she moves on from Raiden.

"As a brother; yes. A lover; no. Raiden had a girlfriend. But…he always put Ritsu-nee first." Marika said with a small smile.

"What happened to him? Raiden?" Nagisa finally asked when her curiosity finally got the best of her. Marika took a deep breath before speaking up.

"You have to swear to me that this story doesn't leave this room. Whoever you tell this story to, make sure they can keep a secret. Swear to me. Mean it. And I will tell you."

Everyone can surmise from the look on her face that she wouldn't budge unless they swore to her and out of respect for the Yamato girls; they swore and fully meant it.

"We swear." Tamao said with a look of determination while the others nodded. Marika could see their sincerity and so she took a deep breath and talked.

"It was around this time last year. We were in the middle of summer break and our parents were just coming home from abroad…"

* * *

_**One Year Ago**_

_16 year old Marika was sitting in the living room, reading a book as she lay on her brother's lap on the couch. As usual, Ritsuko was in her room, playing a video game. The brown haired, green eyed boy, who was considered the youngest of the three teenage children of the Yamato family, smiled down on her as he ran his fingers through her hair. Suddenly, the phone rang and Subaru picked it up without stopping his ministrations on his sister's hair._

"_Hello? Oh, hey, Raiden. What's up?" He asked over the phone. "Ritsu-nee. You wanna talk to her? Hang on."_

_Subaru put the phone away from his ear and yelled out, not even bothering with etiquette as Raiden was used to it, by now._

"_Ritsu-nee, Raiden's on the phone!"_

_In a flash, 16 year old Ritsuko ran down the stairs and took the phone from Subaru as she patted his hair. How she can hear them in the parlor on the first floor's west wing from her spacious bedroom in the middle of the second floor west wing, they'll never know. _

"_Hello? Café? Sure, why not? Alright. See you there. Bye" _

_After that, Ritsuko hung the phone up and tossed them the phone before she headed back upstairs. _

"_I'm going to meet Raiden. Mom and Dad's flight should touchdown in an hour. Go with the driver to pick them up then come for me at the café." Ritsuko told them when she went back to the parlor to pass the reminder on. The two simply waved her off; they are more than capable of handling themselves and the huge estate that serves as their home in Japan. Ritsuko immediately drove out of the estate and after a few minutes, she arrived at the café. The place was quaint and quiet and served good food. Ritsuko entered and sat at a booth in a nearby window. Eventually, Raiden entered. _

"_Ritsu-chan! Ritsu-chan!" He said as he sat in front of her._

"_I have ears, Raiden. No need to yell." She responded as she drank the iced chocolate drink she ordered._

"_I had the most amazing idea yet. We should make our own game series like…like…like the Angry Video Game Nerd! Except instead of just reviewing shitty games, we review the good ol' ones too!" He declared._

"_That sounds a lot like plagiarism and is a terrible idea. I'm in." Ritsuko responded. Raiden gave her a high-five and started drinking his chocolate drink._

"_What would we call it though?" She asked him._

"_Well…when we play video games we're like angry bears sometimes…so…let's call it "GAMERBEAR!" _

_Ritsuko rewarded him with a high five for the idea. _

"_I'm going to meet the others in the airport, wanna come with?" She asked him and he nodded. The two left the café but…_

"_Start the car. I forgot my wallet." She said as she passed him the key. He took the key from her and just as Ritsuko was about to walk out the door once again with her wallet, a car slammed into Raiden's body and he flew up in the air. When his body hit the ground, rain started pouring all of a sudden and pelted the two teens. Raiden was struggling to breathe as he lay on the pavement and his own blood was pooling around him. _

"_Oh Christ! HELP!" Ritsuko screamed as she ran towards him. She kneeled and held him close to him before kissing his forehead._

"_Hey, hang on. You can't leave me. Hang in there. Please." She begged him. Raiden simply gave her a weak smile before looking off to the side._

"_Oh…y-you're sixteen roses are gone. They're-they're for your bir-birthday." He weakly said before coughing out blood. Indeed, there were rose petals beside him. _

"_That's fine. You can get me new ones when you've recovered, okay?" She assured him. He gave her another weak smile and tried to touch her face but instead, his arm went limp and it hit the ground as his eyes finally closed and his breathing ceased. _

"_No! Help us!" She yelled out in despair as she held him close to her. The rain poured harder as lightning struck and thunder rang out and at that moment…it was like God himself was mourning with her. Ritsuko had no idea how long she was there but eventually, the cops arrived as did the ambulance and her family. Her father had to pry her away from Raiden before shoving her in her Alfa Romeo and drove her home._

_And from that day, she slowly changed…_

* * *

"That night when we got home, we received a call from Raiden's parents; he died before he got to the hospital. His parents made it clear that she wasn't to blame but she just…snapped. Buried herself in work and school load. She was just so angry all the time. She only straightened herself out when the twins were born. But from that day, she slowly distanced herself from people. Ridiculous, I know, but…she wants redemption. Anything to absolve herself of a death that wasn't her fault."

When Marika finished talking, Chikaru flipped the album page and saw a newspaper clipping from a year ago.

"_**SAKURA INTERNATIONAL STUDENT; VICTIM OF HIT AND RUN."**_

"That was a very scandalous thing last year. Most kids in Sakura International are wealthy and well connected; Raiden wasn't an exception so it was made public." Marika said as she scratched her eyebrow.

"The portrait." Nagisa pointed out as they looked at the article. Indeed, the scene in the photograph matched the painting Ritsuko made weeks ago.

"What would you have us do?" Yaya asked her.

"I need you to show her that it's okay to have friends again. Don't push her but gradually bring her out of her shell. I know it's no small thing I ask but I would greatly appreciate it. My family and I would be grateful." The young woman answered as she wringed her hands.

"Hai! We'll do it! We want Ritsu-chan to be our friend as well!" Tamao said, to which Yaya, Tsubomi and Nagisa nodded in agreement. Then, Marika turned to Chikaru.

"Chikaru-san, I would like you to keep on pursuing Ritsu-nee." She declared with a bright smile on her face. The others were surprised at the request and at how Marika gave her approval.

"Really?" Lulim's President asked in shock.

"Hai. I know you're thinking she doesn't like you in that way, but that's not the case. She loves you. But getting her to accept that is like…waiting for a hydrophobe to get in the swimming pool." She answered.

"So…what should I do?" She asked in uncertainty. She didn't know how to erase her guild. She didn't want her to forget about the boy as well. After all, in the long run the memories of him will be the only things she'll have left of Raiden.

"That's up to you. I know what you're thinking because it's crossed our minds more than once. Don't make her forget him but I'll give you a hint on where to start; talk to her. She's at the beach right now. Good luck." Marika said with a small smile. Immediately, Chikaru ran out and down the hall, leaving her previous companions in the room.

"We'll see you both around. Maybe when summer ends, we'll start befriending her." Yaya offered to the younger Yamato girl.

"Sooner than you think." She cryptically answered with a small smile on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tsubomi asked in confusion.

"You'll see." She responded. The four nodded and left the room. When they were gone, she picked up a photo of Raiden. One that her sister took when they had the trip to Switzerland two years ago for the summer.

"Don't worry, Rai-nii. We'll get her smile back. She'll get her smile back." She said as she traced the picture with a wistful smile. Returning it to the album, she got up and prepared for bed and the journey home tomorrow.

* * *

Chikaru finally arrived at the beach. Just as Marika predicted, Ritsuko was there and she watched her light up a candle in a small paper lantern on a boat before sending it to drift away. Cautiously, she approached the girl.

"Hey. It's getting late and you have a long drive to Tokyo tomorrow. You should get some rest." She said as she rubbed her arms. Shorts and a tank top was a very poor choice of clothing in the beach at night. Ritsuko looked at her watch for a bit before nodding.

"I will in a bit." She answered before shedding her jacket and draping it over Chikaru's lithe form. There was a moment of silence between them for a bit before she spoke up again.

"Marika…she told us everything. We know about Katsumoto-san."

Much to her surprise, Ritsuko didn't lash out like she expected. Instead, she chuckled.

"Figured as much. I was wondering when she would do it." The scion of the Yamato family said.

"You-you aren't mad?" Chikaru asked her in confusion.

"No. Mari was never the type to sit back. She prefers to take things by its metaphorical horns and beat them into submission. She and Subaru would tell anyone what happened if it would get people to understand me. And why I am what I am. They're just trying to be good siblings." She responded with crossed arms. "Well, now you know what's wrong with me. I'll tell you the aftermath someday. I'm not ready to talk about it yet but I did something…really horrible after that."

"Tell me the whole story when you're ready, love. But whatever it is, I'll love you even then." She assured the girl. Ritsuko was dumbfounded. This can't be happening. This shit only happens in movies. Chikaru was obviously blinded by her infatuation.

"If you'll just give me the chance to prove it to you, I will." She said as she cupped the girl's cheeks. Ritsuko's resolve to refuse her finally ran dry. Chikaru's eyes had a confident flame in them and for some reason, she felt so warm and safe every time she looks into those eyes. She hasn't felt that way in the presence of another outside of family every since Raiden died. She held one of her soft hands and smiled.

"You can start proving it to me after summer. And during it; should our paths cross outside Astraea." She answered. Chikaru smiled and leaned up to press her lips against hers. The kiss was gladly returned by the Yamato girl and eventually, they separated and made their way back to the summer house.

"What's the lantern for by the way?" Chikaru asked her.

"Well, it's midnight when you got there. Raiden liked floating lanterns and it's his death anniversary. Wouldn't make it back home in time to visit his grave so…figured that would suffice. I miss him." She admitted. Chikaru hugged her around the waist as they walked.

"I'm sure he misses all of you as well." She answered before they entered the house.

* * *

The next day, the Astraea Hill students were preparing to leave to return to their schools while the Yamato sisters were returning home to Tokyo.

"Yamato-san, please be careful on the road. We will be expecting a call from your mother soon to inform us of your safe arrival at home." Sister Hamasked said with a stern tone of voice.

"Of course, Sister." Ritsuko responded as she donned her riding gloves. The sister nodded before walking away. Their group of friends approached them immediately.

"Ne, take care, Ritsuko-san, Mari-chan." Nagisa said with a wide smile.

"Will do, Nagi-chan. I might invite you guys to our house so you better be free." Marika said with a smile.

"I'm all for it." Yaya responded. With a final goodbye, the girls entered the bus but Kagome and Chikaru approached Ritsuko.

"GamerBear onee-sama, Percival says take care." She said with a passive tone of voice. Ritsuko smiled and ruffled her hair before nodding. Chikaru finally approached them and gave Marika a hug and a kiss on Ritsuko's cheek before trying to hand her jacket back to her.

"Take care." She said with a smile as she held the jacket out.

"Keep it. And thanks, we will." Ritsuko answered with a small smile. Chikaru nodded and walked back to the bus. Ritsuko had a dazed look on her face as she watched her board the bus and only snapped out when Marika spoke up.

"Are there flowers in your vision yet?" She asked.

"Shut up." She responded before she started the engine. The bus and the two girls went their separate ways, ready for the summer to actually start.

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**AN: And that is Chapter VII of As Time Goes By. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review or favorite if you did. But now to the sad news;**

**Sadly, as we all know, Miyu Matsuki, who voiced Astraea Hill's beloved angel, Hikari Konohana, passed away days ago. In tribute to her, the next chapter will involve Hikari. Rest in Peace, Miyu Matsuki-san. You will be sorely missed and you shall always be in our hearts and prayers always.**


	9. Chapter 8: A Gathering on a Summer Night

**AN: Welcome! Welcome to the Eighth chapter of our story. I know I promised this one many months ago but things have been busy, unfortunately, and like I said in the previous chapter, Hikari will be in this chapter so…here it is. I hope you guys enjoy and thank you for the reviews you guys sent. I really appreciated them! Enjoy!**

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**CHAPTER VIII:**

**A GATHERING ON A SUMMER NIGHT**

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To say Hikari was stressed out was probably the understatement of the century. There was an eternal mountain of paperwork to be handled and prospects to show around. Even with her beloved Amane helping her out, it was still extremely tedious.

'Now I know why Shizuma-sama ran away a lot last year.' Hikari thought with a sigh. She oftentimes thought that if only she knew that being Etoile was such a chore, she would've just left Amane hanging as much as she loved her blue haired prince. Then, when she'd catch herself thinking that, she'd feel a bit guilty and shake it off before getting back to work like the trooper she is. Still, she wished she could go somewhere for a bit. She feels so cooped up in the Spica conference room.

"You seem stressed." Amane remarked as she massaged the blonde haired angel's shoulders. Hikari was surprised by her sudden appearance; now she isn't even aware of her surroundings that much anymore.

"I'll be fine." She answered with a small smile. The blue haired woman returned the smile and held out an envelope towards her.

"It's from Marika-san." She informed her as Hikari took the envelope from her. Carefully, she opened the envelope and pulled out the letter to read its contents out loud.

_Greetings, Etoile Hikari-sama,_

_ How are you? I hope your summer is doing fine despite being stuck in the Hill. Yaya-chan and the others say they worry about you and that you might be stressing yourself out. I hope that's not the case with you and Etoile Ohtori-sama. Anyways, enough about talking shop; I'll get straight to the point of this letter (since Astraea has neither computers nor the Internet; seriously, how do you live?). I sent this letter to invite you to a summertime gathering in our home in Tokyo. Should you agree; either I or my mother shall arrive to pick you up in a week's time. If not, due to your business as Etoile, we'll understand. Please respond as soon as you can. We look forward to your answer._

_Regards,_

_Yamato Marika_

Amane abruptly stopped writing once she heard the contents of the letter; her little angel has been stressed out for weeks now. She thought that maybe it would do her good to get away for a bit. Even for just a day or two.

"Do you want to go?" She asked Hikari as she stowed the letter away in her pocket.

"A-Ano…I-uh…yes. But I don't want to leave you here to do all the work by yourself, Amane-kun." She responded as she shyly looked down at the documents before her. Immediately, the blue haired woman stood up and kneeled before her, grasping her hands tightly in her own.

"Look, if you want to go, then go. I'm sure Tomori-kaichou will let you as a reward for your hard work." She gently told her.

"But what about you?" Hikari worriedly asked. Sure, she wanted to spend time with her friends but it would be unfair to just leave Amane with all the responsibilities of an Etoile.

"I'll be fine. It wouldn't be the first time I've stayed a summer here. I can do things on my own." She answered with a smile and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. But when they separated, her smile immediately fell when she saw Hikari's hesitance.

"Look, it's a week-long gathering. If you want, you can come back after a day or two." She gently offered the girl. Now, that got Hikari thinking…

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About a week later, Hikari was packed with three days worth of clothing. Amane managed to convince Shion to let Hikari leave the Hill for about two to three days. The three of them were standing outside the Strawberry Dorms for whoever was going to pick Hikari up. Finally, a cherry red convertible drove up the Hill and stopped in front of them.

"Hello, friends! Tomori-kaichou." Marika greeted them from her seat in the driver's side; face partially covered by the baseball cap she wore. Immediately, she got out and grabbed Hikari's bag to store in the back seat as the blonde Etoile said her farewells.

"Take care. Call when you arrive there." Amane said as she hugged her petite lover and gave her a peck on the lips. Hikari merely nodded before getting in the car.

"Please take care of our Etoile, Yamato-san." Shion humbly requested.

"I will, Tomori-kaichou. You have my word." Marika said before they drove away.

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It was almost 9PM when Marika and Hikari arrived in Tokyo. Hikari was amazed upon seeing such a huge estate slapped in the middle of the city. One could easily mistake it for a park. A sprawling, walled and heavily guarded park…

"So, Chikaru-chan has been here for two weeks now. And look, Nagi-chan and the others are here." Marika pointed out. There were a few unfamiliar cars in the place and Hikari noticed one of them was Shizuma's. Marika parked the car and they hopped off.

"Come in, please." Marika cheerfully said as she took Hikari's bag from her grasp.

"TADAIMA!" Marika bellowed out. Oh, if Sister Hamasaka could see her now, she'd probably be cleaning the floors of Strawberry dorm as punishment. Immediately, someone walked out from the ground floor's west wing and they saw Nagisa and Shizuma.

"Ah, Hikari-chan!" Nagisa cheerfully greeted her as she ran up to hug the blonde haired girl.

"Hello, Nagisa-chan, Shizuma-sama. Where are the others?" Hikari asked in curiosity as Marika handed her bag over to, much to her surprise, the butler. Wow. If she wasn't intimidated by her surroundings before, she sure as hell is now.

"They're in the garden with Aunt Kara." Shizuma answered with a small smile as she held her lover's hand.

"I take it someone has already taken you on a tour of the estate? Well, for Nagisa and the others. You and Miyuki-nee already know your way around." Marika asked as she threw her cap and keys to a nearby table.

"Actually, no. Your mother is looking for your sister. That's where we were headed." Shizuma responded with a small smile.

"I'll find her but I'll give you both a breakdown of the manor." She said as she led them to the rear garden. "East Wing ground floor is the kitchens, gym, armory, receiving area and spare rooms. Exactly in that order. Above that is the master bedroom, nursery, my and Subaru's rooms and guest rooms. West Wing ground floor has the servants' quarters and the doors to the rear garden and the garage. West Wing upper floor are guest rooms, our game room, the collectibles room as well as Ritsu-nee's bedroom. She's a bit particular with privacy so please don't just wander in there."

Of all the things that Marika said, there was one particular room that stuck out with Nagisa and Hikari.

"You have an armory?" Nagisa asked in surprise, only to receive a nod from their guide and a giggle from Shizuma.

"That we do. Don't worry; they're all under lock and key and we only use them if we want to use the shooting range. But…you know…we can only use that if dad is around."

"Where is Uncle Koji?" Shizuma asked her as they neared the garden.

"He is in New York on business." Marika answered as they finally arrived. There was a round table in the middle of the garden where Miyuki, Tamao, Yaya, Tsubomi and Chikaru sat with an older woman, whom Hikari could only guess to be Takara Yamato, and a boy who sat close to the older woman. There was also a wad of gauze on the left side of his head. Miyuki and Tamao were cradling two babies; a boy and a girl. Hikari had no doubt that these two were Raiden and Kohaku.

"Ah, Konohana-san, come. Please, sit. You're a guest in our home." The matriarch of the Yamato family said as she gestured for the blonde to sit beside her.

"Thank you, Yamato-san." She politely responded as she graciously accepted the kind offer. The boy immediately fixed her something to eat and she immediately took it and ate with the others.

"Marika, where is your sister?" Takara asked her.

"I think she's upstairs, playing." Was the younger woman's answer. With a groan, the boy stood up and picked up a stone that he promptly threw at the open window on the second floor's west wing.

"OUCH!"

"Our brother, Subaru. As lazy as Ritsu-nee sometimes." Marika lightheartedly informed them upon realizing that, aside from Shizuma and Miyuki, none of them knew who the boy was.

"What do you want?" A familiar voice responded. They all turned their heads and saw Ritsuko peering down from the window as she threw the stone that hit her in the side of her face back towards the boy.

"Get down here; we have guests!" Subaru yelled back at her.

"I'll be down in a bit!" She answered as she closed her window.

"I could get her for you, Aunt Kara." Chikaru offered as she put her glass of juice down.

"Yes, please, Chikaru-chan. You know where her room is. Thank you." She answered with a grateful smile before Chikaru stood up and ran inside. Everyone, except Hikari, was surprised at the statement. Come to think of it, when they arrived at the estate, Chikaru looked like she's been there for days, judging from how comfortable the twins were with her.

"How long has she been here?" Yaya asked her after a moment of silence.

"Two weeks now. Chikaru-nee's parents are out of the country and our moms are very good friends so they thought it was a good idea to leave her here in the meantime." Subaru answered as he drank some soda.

"So…what's the deal with her and your sister? Are they together now?" Shizuma asked with a mischievous tone.

"Well, she sleeps in her room and we're not hearing any complaints yet so…safe to say; yes. They're pretty much together now." Marika answered as she drank some tea. Just then, Chikaru entered with Ritsuko. The eldest Yamato child had a wad of gauze on the right side of her head, similar to Subaru.

"What happened to you? What happened to your faces?" Miyuki asked her as she gestured towards Subaru and Ritsuko.

"Oh, we were sparring with dad's rapiers and she hit me with it." Subaru answered as he handed his older sister some food.

"Only because you tried to gouge my eyes out first. This is going to scar, mind you." Ritsuko said as she ate.

"Don't worry. You're still pretty to me." Chikaru said before planting a kiss on her cheek. Ritsuko turned as red as Nagisa's hair immediately, unused to such an affection.

"Awww…she's blushing." Shizuma teasingly said as she pinched the younger girl's cheek, earning a slap on her hand. The others sniggered at the sight and Hikaru felt the stress of her work melting away at the presence of her friends.

"So…Hikari-chan, how's work? Not what it's cracked up to be, eh?" Miyuki asked with a gentle smile on her face as she held Tamao's hand.

"It's tiring, to be honest but seeing what we do come to fruition makes it worth it." She answered with her standard angelic smile.

"Say, Yamato-sama, wasn't your mother an Etoile?" Miator's current Student Council President asked her.

"Oh, yes. She wouldn't shut up about it when I was your age."

"Just like you wouldn't shut up about your days in Astraea when we were younger?" Subaru asked and immediately gave his sister a high five when she held her hand out as he finished the sentence.

"Ooh…savage, little brother." The eldest Yamato daughter praised before she took Kohaku from Miyuki. Raiden was deposited on Chikaru's lap immediately since they learned earlier that neither of the twins likes to be too far apart from one another. Plus it was cute to see the couple with the twins and oddly enough, the big, tough GamerBear looked so natural with a baby in her arms.

"Ne, Ritsu-chan, when are you going to release a new episode?" Yaya asked her, catching the current Etoile's interest. Ever since Yaya showed Hikari a few episodes with a laptop she snuck in, her interest about Ritsuko's line of work has been piqued.

"I'll release it tomorrow. You guys want to watch it early or something?" She asked and the pair nodded vigorously. Ritsuko handed Kohaku off to Chikaru and kissed her and her twin brother's cheeks before walking away.

"Wow…you'd kiss your siblings' cheeks but not your girlfriend's." Subaru teased her, earning a bunch of 'oohs' from their guests as they sat on the edge of their seats, wondering if she was going to take the bait. Ritsuko stopped in her tracks and turned around with an obviously fake smile on her face.

"Where would I be without you, little brother?" She said in a voice laced with sarcasm before kissing her girlfriend's forehead and running inside the house.

"Stop bringing her pride into play, Subaru-kun." Shizuma lightly scolded the boy with a smile on her face.

"Wanna be the pot or the kettle, Shizuma-nee?" He asked her. Shizuma responded by roughly patting him on the head. Chikaru, on the other hand, seems unfazed by the fact that Ritsuko only did a romantic gesture towards her to salvage her pride and she continued to play with the twins. After a few minutes, Ritsuko came back with her laptop and set it down on the table for everyone to see.

"Okay, early Halloween special, let's go."

And she promptly pressed play.

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**AN: And that's where we end our chapter. It's kinda getting long so we'll have to cut things short here. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave your reviews and favorites. Love you guys. **

**Firework out! \ (^o^) /**


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